365 Days in the Sun
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: A series of drabbles. I hope some chapters interlock and connect together, but there will be some stand alones as well. This will cover multiple characters, but focus on the main four. This fic will contain a multiple of couples, yaoi, yuri and het. Rating may go up as the story progresses.
1. Life

Summery: Kuwabara when he really lives, and when he's gone.

Main character(s): Kuwabara

* * *

He was five when a little boy had pushed him in the sandbox. The sun blinded him for a moment as he looked up at his assailant, determination not to cry in his young eyes. There had been a tiny giggle, half of an apology, and a hand offered to help him stand.

Under the heat of midday he met two smaller children, both his age. There was a girl whose name reminded him of cake ("Your name's Kēki?*" She had said no and repeated her name. He still heard Kēki everytime she spoke), and a boy decorated in green and purple band-aids. The boy accused him of being a giant, and then laughed as if it was the most amazing thing in the world.

He spent the whole day playing away, laughing loud and occasionally arguing with the little girl about who got to be in the honorary position of best friend for the other little boy.

Around dinner time Kazuma Kuwabara's mother took his hand and led him away from the sandbox. He waved good-bye and promised to see them again next time.

There was no next time.

With vague regret and a jealous pout Kazuma reasoned that the girl whose name sounded like cake would be the other little boy's best friend after all.

* * *

"Shit it's hot!" Kuwabara remarked just before Sawamura pressed a cold can of soda to Kuwabara's swollen eye.

When the can came in contact with his face Kuwabara squawked, flinching from the cold and pain the can brought.

"Geeze is the heat all you can complain about?" Kirishima asked wrinkling his nose as he looked down at Kuwabara. "Your face is so messed up!"

Okubo roughly elbowed his taller friend, and shot Kirishima a clear look of: __**Shut the hell up!**__

Kuwabara laughed, and his eyes followed the retreating form of a green uniform. The figure's shoulders were slumped as if the weight of the world was crushing them…maybe it was.

"That guy is some badass…" Kuwabara whistled, unabashed elation in his voice.

"Earth to Kuwabara!" Sawamura chided waving a hand in front of Kuwabara's face, his tone heavy with disbelief and disapproval, "That guy beat you into the pavement! What are you smiling about!?"

Kuwabara laughed, "Ah you guys wouldn't get it…I just…" Kuwabara tried to find the words, but there were no words to describe what he was feeling. This was his first fight that hadn't come easy. The first time he'd lost, the first time he hadn't won a victory that left him hollow and wishing for something he couldn't put a name on.

Through his swollen eyes he followed the green uniform until it was gone. "Tomorrow," Kuwabara finally said, "Tomorrow i'll fight that guy again! I'll fight him again, and win!"

"You're nuts!" Kirishima snorted.

Kuwabara ignored him, eyes lingering where the green uniform had once been.

"Did anyone catch that guys name?"

"Urameshi something I think…"

"Urameshi huh?…Urameshi."

* * *

He was looking at the sun.

That's funny…wasn't…wasn't he doing something else just a minute ago?

"NNOOOOOOO!"

A cracking shriek filled the air, and brought Kuwabara's eyes away from the sky and down towards his chest. A hand was pushing into his flesh.

Ah.

That's right.

He blinked as the shock began to wear off and the pain set in.

Just as he was registering that he was actually impaled on Toguro's hand, Toguro roughly yanked it out. A red carnation bloomed from his chest, hovering in the air for a moment before wetly splashing to the ground. Colors were exploding all around him, the air felt tight, and his skin prickled with cold as a hot sun beat down on him.

Was this what death was like?

Bleary eyes sought out the face of his greatest rival and greatest friend. From this distance Kuwabara couldn't make out Yusuke's face, but he could make out messily slicked back black hair.

"Okay Urameshi…"

The effort of talking made him throw up. He was surprised to see that it wasn't vomit, but more blood. A hand came to his chest – he had to plug up this wound. He had too much left to say…

"It's all you…I did what I could…." Kuwabara reached for Yusuke. The colors of the world became wet and swam together. Kuwabara continued speaking though in a way he didn't know what he was saying. He just focused on the blur of his best friend in front of him. He had to talk to him…he had so much to tell him.

Most importantly, Kuwabara didn't want Yusuke to give up. And if Kuwabara stopped talking...maybe Yusuke would give up? Kuwabara couldn't explain this feeling...but if he...he stopped talking to Yusuke, if he just **__left__**...something inside of him told him Toguro would win.

At some point Kuwabara couldn't make out his friend's form anymore…and he dropped his arm heavily. He'd said what he needed to…he was sure of it even if couldn't remember the words.  
The white light of the sun blinded him even as the dirt came rushing up and met Kuwabara full force. As he was swept up in unconsciousness he was aware of a strong surging power exploding all around him.

It made him think of Yusuke, and then the darkness won out and Kuwabara embraced the clam of quiet blackness.

* * *

Kuwabara grunted loudly as he was tackled into the sand.

His best friend's laughter, and a woman's giggle made him smile. Wet and cold from the beach water, Kuwabara craned his neck and looked at the two who were perched happily on his back, as if they belonged there squishing him into the wet sand.

"Ugh you're heavy!" Kuwabara complained.

Keiko gasped, cheeks flushing red, as she splashed Kuwabara with salty cold water, "You take that back! I'm light as a feather!"

"I'm not!" Yusuke snorted devilishly, as he dug his elbow in Kuwabara's back.

Kuwabara grinned despite the bony pressure on his spine. He'd been lying of course…with how happy he was feeling those two weighed nothing.

In mock annoyance Kuwabara grunted mumbling incoherent complaints as Keiko continued to argue her weight, and Yusuke continued to dig his elbow in to his spine.

Kurama's laughter caught his attention, and Kuwabara flashed the red-head a grin as Kurama began to approach them. Botan, Yukina, and Shizuru were in the background-giggling about something. Kuwabara bet it had something to do with his current state.

This day was almost perfect. The sun was out, the day was warm, and the warmth of having Yusuke back home filled the empty void that had been a constant at Kuwabara's side the past few years. The day was almost perfect.

It just needed one more irritant.

And as if answering his call, Kuwabara picked up a familiar presence. He ignored Yusuke's cackling and Keiko's girlish complaints, and craned his neck, eyes seeking out the source of this new but familiar aura. There just behind his sister and the girls, walking slow and face surely indifferent, was Hiei.

Kuwabara grinned.

Now the day was perfect.

"Yusuke don't!" Keiko squeaked in protest.

Yusuke had gotten to his feet, and then dropped on Kuwabara digging his elbow hard into Kuwabara's back.

Kuwabara's shrill cry of pain set off a stream of raucous laughter.

* * *

Arching his back as much as it would allow, Kuwabara stretched out his tired bones and yawned loudly. His sudden movement startled his gray cat who jumped and turned to look at him as if he'd committed a crime.

"What? Geeze…" Kuwabara cackled, the cat sticking up his nose and walking away from him.

"Fraidy-cat!" Kuwabara called after the snooty animal.

The cat of course paid him no mind.

Kuwabara chuckled his amusement and adjusted the blanket on his shoulders. It was a brisk winter's day, and the sky was filled with clouds. Not a speck of sun, but the barren trees, and the left over ice from the last storm, made everything look like it was enveloped in a dull white light.

Kuwabara hopped up, and almost stumbled. His old bones rattled when he got up too quickly. He supposed a long life of 103 years would do that to a person. But besides a few stumbles here and there, and maybe momentary lapses in memory, Kuwabara was as spry and sharp as he ever was at 14.

Tugging the blanket closer to him he began to walk. He wasn't planning on going too far, just a walk around the shrine's courtyard. Yusuke had gifted him Genkai's old shrine, thinking it fitting that another psychic inherited the place.

His thoughts drifted to his friend, and Kuwabara cracked a grin. Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei were supposed to come over today, and maybe even perhaps their other friends. It would be a regular party with the whole gang here!

Botan and Koenma had already been by the morning, the two popping in for early morning tea, and to to chat about this and that. It was an unexpected, but welcomed visit. Botan was as cheerful as ever, chirping away about this and that, and Koenma would chime in every now and then with his two-cents about something or other-always with a slightly arrogant air. It made Kuwabara's eyes roll to hear him, but the familiarity of Koenma's attitude warmed Kuwabara inside and out.

About ten years ago Kuwabara had stopped training youngsters for Koenma's services, and sometimes things were a little quiet at the shrine. Not that a bunch of his students didn't keep visiting…Heck, some of them even tried to move into the shrine to, "help," Kuwabara out. Kuwabara dismissed them, promising his students that he'd whoop them if they made any more suggestions of taking care of him.

They meant well, but he was fine on his own.

He had a wonderful life…and he'd done fine taking care of himself and his friends. They had in turn taken care of him…Kuwabara saw no reason that he would need any extra help. He cherished his alone time at the shrine, as well as the ability to live alone.

A speck of light on the ground caught his attention. He looked up, and a smile stretched across his weathered face. The sun was coming out.

"Ah Good!" Kuwabara remarked as golden white warm light peaked through the clouds. His smile continued to grow as the light washed over him and as the warmth embraced him, he let his blanket drop to the ground.

A soft mewing sound caught his attention and he looked ahead. Walking towards him from the direction of the shrine steps was a white cat. It had the purest fur Kuwabara had ever seen, and even from this distance he could see large golden eyes.

"Beautiful creature…" Kuwabara whispered as the cat came to sit in front of him. A calm was settling over him, and with it a reluctant understanding and knowing.

 _ **"**_ _ _ **Kuwabara."**__

The cat slowly stretched into a human form, a young beautiful woman in a kimono with a peony pattern. It wasn't Botan, but Kuwabara knew who she was, and why she was here. He took one last look at the the sun, thought of a girl whose name sounded like cake, and a boy covered in green and purple band-aids…and then offered his arm to the pretty woman-always the gentleman.

Arm in arm, she led him towards the sun.

End

* * *

Notes:

* Kēki= Cake


	2. Take the Piss

Yusuke's a little pee shy in public. Kuwabara's to blame.

Character(s): Yusuke, Kuwabara

genre: Friendship, humor

* * *

Yusuke hated peeing in public.

It was all Kuwabara's fault.

Before he met Kuwabara, Yusuke could take a piss anywhere. Piss at home, piss at school, piss on on subway, piss out a moving subway, piss off the side of a bridge, piss at a restaurant, piss at a bar, piss in a bar fight, piss outside the bar, piss on the bar owner, piss in a graveyard, piss in the girl's locker room, piss on some thugs body's, piss in the snow, piss on a tree, piss on the shrine steps, piss on himself while suffering a near fatal injury from Genkai after pissing on said shrine steps-The point was, Yusuke Urameshi used to be able to piss anywhere and not have to think about it.

That changed after he and Kazuma Kuwabara became friends.

Yusuke didn't think he was the type of person to take notice of other people's behaviors... but sure enough after a few missions and a growing friendship, Yusuke began to notice odd things about Kuwabara. Kuwabara hardly ever peed in public. That wasn't too odd, it would have been one thing if Kuwabara never attempted to go, that would probably go unnoticed by the spirit detective. But no, Kuwabara did try to go to the public bathrooms, it was just that Kuwabara would often come running out of the bathroom like he was being chased. Sometimes Kuwabara would get up head towards a bathroom, and then come to a complete stop before reaching the door. After a moment, Kuwabara would turn around and retake his seat.

When Yusuke noticed these weird incidents, the young punk just thought Kuwabara was a little nuts. After all Kuwabara was the weirdo who kept getting back up for more beat downs, no matter how hard Yusuke was on him. So Kuwabara bolting from a bathroom...well that couldn't be too weird right? Clearly Kuwabara was suffering from some kind of head trauma...

But after a while of seeing these weird incidentals, Yusuke one night at some nameless restaurant followed Kuwabara to a bathroom-and before Kuwabara could turn around Yusuke had shouldered them both inside.

There was nothing abnormal about the bathroom. Four urinals in a row, two stalls, three sinks, three mirrors...just a bathroom. It was a little unkempt of course, toilet paper on the floor, dirty jokes scrawled on the wall in permanent marker, and a couple flickering lights. All in all, it wasn't so bad. Yusuke had pissed in worst places. Yusuke turned a cocky eye to Kuwabara, and was surprised to see how pale the taller teen had gotten.

"Come on man...don't you need to go?" Yusuke finally asked as the two stood there. When Kuwabara didn't respond Yusuke jabbed a thumb in Kuwabara's chest, "Come on man! You always chicken out with bathrooms! Got a phobia or something?"

The challenge in Yusuke's voice seemed to snap Kuwabara out of his frozen state and Kuwabara mechanically walked over to a urinal. Satisfied, Yusuke chose a urinal away from Kuwabara, and proceeded to try and go...but the tension radiating off Kuwabara, made Yusuke unable to go.

Another minute of silence ticked away, and Yusuke burst, "Okay man!" Yusuke was frowning completely frustrated, and annoyed at his nagging guilt for shoving Kuwabara in the bathroom, "What's up? What are you so freaked out about?"

Kuwabara frowned and looked down staring hard at the blue urinal deodorizer block. It was almost comical to see a six foot tall guy standing slightly bent in front of a urinal, his flaccid dick held in his slightly trembling hands. But Kuwabara's face was drained of color, and Yusuke was finding it hard to find anything about this situation funny. His face was clearly distressed.

Yusuke knew that there were a few rules about guys in bathrooms-and one of those was surely don't stare at the other guy in the bathroom. Another rule was probably not to stand next to each other in a urinal. Yusuke tucked his penis back in his pants, and stood next to Kuwabara bumping shoulder to elbow with the larger man.

"Hey," Yusuke said in a low voice, "What's going on with you?"

Kuwabara flinched, lips setting into a thin line. Yusuke remained calmly next to Kuwabara, waiting for an answer.

"Come on man...I'm just gonna stand next to you...in a bathroom, side by side...looking like some gay couple-"

Kuwabara snorted...and like that the tension broke into a bit of childish giggles.

"Urameshi...I don't think gay couples stand next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, in a urinal. I think they got a bit more class than that..."

Yusuke shrugged, "I wouldn't be standing next to ya like this if you weren't being such a nut! What's going on? Out with it!"

Kuwabara frowned, and flinched at Yusuke's persistence, but there was a look in his eyes that said he was about to burst. Yusuke nudged Kuwabara again, and finally Kuwabara spoke.

"...You know how sometimes when you're alone in a public bathroom...you get this creepy feeling...like something's not right?" Kuwabara gushed, not waiting for a response from his shorter friend, "Well Urameshi...that's cuz most bathrooms seem to have a lot of pissed off creepy fucking ghosts inside of it!" Kuwabara rushed the last few words out looking like he was waiting for Yusuke to accuse him he was lying or laugh at him.

At first that was exactly what Yusuke wanted to do. Throw up his hands, laugh, call Kuwabara of being an idiot...but Yusuke didn't. Instead he thought about how Kuwabara had been able to sense him when he was dead, and how blue in the face he had gotten. How when Kuwabara went to Genaki's shrine he claimed to see things he never wanted to see and had broken in a sweat. How when they were at the Maze castle, they'd really depended on Kuwabara's growing psychic abilities to see them through the winding halls.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Yusuke thought before he spoke, and when he did speak he only asked, "What do ya see?"

Kuwabara looked at Yusuke, shock and then instant relief spread all over his face. The look of utter gratitude on Kuwabara's face made Yusuke's throat feel tight.

"Urameshi, I swear to god there's a head in every urinal, and in the corner there's something tall and black slamming its head into the corner!" Kuwabara chatted on, relief and horror mingling in his words, "I swear I'm not making this up and I see these weird things all the time in these places! Sometimes there is nothing...just a real bad feeling...and I..I can't go in man. I'd rather piss on the sidewalk then go inside places like this!"

Kuwabara's eye begged Yusuke to believe him-and Yusuke did. Looking at Kuwabara in the state he was in now, there was no way Kuwabara was making this up... which made the bathroom suddenly very unsettling. Yusuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and looking past Kuwabara, just in the corner, he could swear he saw a glimpse of black figure...banging his head against the wall. Yusuke felt his throat tighten, and in the silence of the bathroom, an echoing thud filled the air.

That was it.

Like screaming idiots the two ran shrieking from the bathroom, and far from the restaurant, and only when they were in an alley did Kuwabara realize he hadn't tucked his penis back inside his pants.

Kuwabara cursed, situating himself, sank to the ground with his hands in his hair and groaned, "Ah shit man! I can never go back there again! Ah man!"

"Fuck why would you want to go back?! Especially if you're seeing all that? Jesus man!" Yusuke wheezed his heart racing a mile a minute.

"...it's not like they're there all the time. And most the time they're not gonna do anything to you...it just freaks me out!" Kuwabara sighed. He exhaled hard and whispered, "Thank you man...for believing me. I've never...I've never told anyone that before."

"Shit...well...Yeah..." Yusuke mumbled shrugging his shoulders.

He was new to this male-friendship thing...and it was weird being thanked for standing by Kuwabara, for believing him. It was kind of nice too.

Yusuke sighed, "I kinda wish you hadn't told me all that though! I'm never gonna be able to pee in a public bathroom again!"

And Yusuke was right.

He was now forever pee-shy. And it was all of Kuwabara's fucking fault!

End


	3. Farts

Yusuke had a question about Hiei.

notes: Takes place after the end of the series.

* * *

"...You ever hear Hiei fart?" Yusuke asked out of the blue over a game of Street Fighter.

Kuwabara slowly blinked, his brain seeming to come to a halt. As his brain imploded, Yusuke used this moment to deliver the finishing move on Sakura, Kuwabara's selected character.

"What?"

"You ever hear Hiei fart?" Yusuke asked again, pausing their game and reaching for a bag of opened potato chips.

"No...no..."

"You think Hiei _can_ fart?"

"...I don't even know if he sweats man!" Kuwabara finally exasperated, rubbing his temples as he tried to restart his brain.

"In all our time of knowing Hiei, I've never heard him fart! Not even an accidental sneeze fart!" Yusuke declared.

"Do demons fart then?" Kuwabara snorted into laughter, giving in to the weird conversation of the day.

"Of course we fart! You've heard me fart! Hell even Kurama farts!" Yusuke snorted, rolling his eyes.

In the kitchen there was a couple of fumbling sounds, followed by a few choked coughs. Though not interested in the video games, Kurama had come over to Kuwabara's apartment to spend time with his companions. He was sort of regretting that now after hearing this sudden and strange conversation. Setting down a bowl of popcorn, and a half empty soda can, Kurama scrambled for a dish towel.

"I do __not__ fart!" Kurama seethed, color brightening up his face.

"Dude you may be a demon on the inside, but you got a human body now! You totally fart!" Yusuke persisted as Kuwabara dissolved into laughter.

Kurama was mortified.

Yusuke dismissed Kurama's sputters with a wave of his hand, "But that's not what we're talking about here! Who cares if the Rose Queen-"

"Rose Queen!? Yusuke-"

"WHO CARES IF THE ROSE QUEEN," Yusuke continued loudly, "pops a fart off every now and then. I'm talking about Hiei here. Has anyone ever heard him fart?"

Kuwabara was a mess of childish giggles, but Kurama was frowning with thought. "You know," Kurama admitted, "I've known Hiei an awfully long time...and I can't say that I recall ever hearing him fart."

"Maybe...maybe he has silent farts?" Kuwabara offered, voice weak from laughter.

"Never smelt them either...and I have a strong nose," Kurama pointed out.

Kuwabara lost it again. Dropping his controller completely he collapsed onto the floor and shielded his head with with hands as he wheezed in delight.

Yusuke seeming pleased by the ridiculousness he had caused continued, "Maybe when he's running fast he lets it all out. Farting at the speed of sound!"

Kurama was next to give in to laughter, abandoning cleaning up his soda spill, and instead holding his stomach as he let the hilarity overtake him.

Yusuke grinned at the damage he had done, his smile only spreading as the window adjacent from them opened. Hiei, as quiet as ever slipped into the apartment, but his presence was just as noticed as if he'd stormed in. When Hiei noticed Yusuke grinning like an idiot as Kurama and Kuwabara where gasping for air in between guffaws, he cocked one thin black brow up.

"What's going on?"

"Hiei do you fart?"

Hiei answered Yusuke with a kick to the face.

End


	4. Love and War

Summery: Love is war. (Shizuru + Yukina, one-sided)

additional notes: This story takes place while Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke are away during three king's arc. I have more plans for this little drabble, so later you might see more chapters related to this one.

* * *

She wanted her brother's girl.

Well no, that wasn't right. Her brother and said girl _weren't_ dating. But her brother had been gushing about her for years now.

His whole life was consumed with living up to his expectations of a good man, and his imagined expectations he believed her to have. He lived to impress her, to make her smile, to make her happy. His clumsy actions were actually very charming...in a goofy sort of way. He was in love with this girl. And maybe this girl felt the same. She was off limits. She had to be... but she wanted her brother's girl.

But Shizuru wanted Yukina.

How had this happened?

This petite ice maiden had gently walked into Shizuru's life, and nothing had been the same.

But these feelings shouldn't be hers. This whirlwind flurry of romantic longing, late night erotic visions, and days of yearning shouldn't be hers. How could she do this to Kazuma?

"Sis!"

Shizuru jolted, surprised by her brother's voice suddenly interrupting her thoughts.

Her brother was leaning on the entrance to the kitchen, bags under his eyes. He'd been studying too hard again. Since his friends had gone, Kuwabara had taken to studying like he used to take to fights. He was clearly lonely, but there a was a light of determination flickering in his eyes. He had swore an oath to Yusuke to study hard on his chosen path, and it was that promise to his friend that was keeping Kuwabara going. Kuwabara might never take breaks if it wasn't for Yukina...Yukina who was beautiful. Who had a smile that lit up the room. Who-

 _ _'Stop that!'__ Shizuru thought closing her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them she looked at her tired brother with sympathy, "Do you need something to eat Kazuma...you look exhausted."

"Maybe a little later..." Kuwabara muttered as he yawned dragging a hand slowly over his scruffy face.

Shizuru scrunched up her nose, "You need to shave."

"After I study a bit more."

"Yukina will like you better if you look a bit more clean shaven. Girls like their man rested, clean, and smelling good."

"Well i'm no one's man," Kuwabara yawned, "Not yet anyway..." there was a hopeful note to his voice.

It made Shizuru sick. She forced a smile and chuckle. She needed a cigarette. She reached for a cup and poured herself some water. Why was she doing this? She should make up an excuse. Why was she afraid to be alone with Yukina. They were friends. It was okay to be friends with Kuwabara's dream girl. Nothing would happen. Shit, she needed an excuse. She needed a lie. She needed to pick up dry cleaning, she needed to get her hair cut, she needed to get something to eat- _ _Wait.__

She slammed the cup down in the sink, "Wait, wait! When did you last eat?"

Kuwabara rolled his eyes, a tactic he would only deploy after not sleeping for days, "Sis...come on, not now! I was gonna ask you something!" His sentence ended in a whine, and Shizuru shot him a glare. Kuwabara jumped, and looked down.

"There is no whining in my kitchen Kazuma Kuwabara, especially if its about you not having had anything to eat since thursday!"

"It's only...Saturday...?" Kuwabara tried. He buttoned his lip as Shizuru's eyes grew steely.

Grabbing an apple she shoved it in his mouth, "Eat that down to the core, and maybe I won't break your face in."

Kuwabara obeyed. When he was done, he sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Listen...what I was gonna ask...well...I need to sleep. I'm going to study some more tonight, but I need to just...rest a bit. Yukina is coming over...could you keep her company for a little while until I wake up?"

 _ _Oh no. No. Nononononononono-No! What was he doing to her!?__

"No problem. You know I love her. But don't invite people over if you're gonna sleep!"

Kuwabara laughed, already turning towards his bed. As he disappeared he called over his shoulder, "You know she asked actually. She said she wanted to see you about something."

 _ _Fuck. Shit. FUCK.__

Shizuru was a bundle of nerves until Yukina arrived. She was his brother's dream. Her brother deserved to crush on someone, to date them, to fall in love. Her brother deserved it! She didn't need to interfere. She was the adult here! The big sister! She just had to play it cool. Play it cool.

The doorbell rang, and she answered the door a placid expression on her face, her hands sweaty. Yukina stood in the hallway grinning wide, eyes aglow. She smiled and chirped out Shizuru's name in happy greeting. She didn't wait to be welcomed in, but instead took dainty steps forward and embraced the taller woman. Shizuru slipped an arm around her friend, embracing the petite woman.

Shizuru had a vision of kissing Yukina.

Her throat tightened...she wanted her brother's girl.

End.


	5. Observe

A look into a day of Youko Kurama's past.

* * *

Youko Kurama had seen humans age, and die just as simply as he had observed leaves turn from green to red. He remembered lazy days watching children learn to walk, learn to play, learn to love...and then learn to go to war and learn to die. There was a lot of war among humans. A lot of dark times and poverty...and Kurama would be lying if he didn't say his thieving hadn't caused some of those dark times that the humans suffered through. He chuckled to himself and shifted his weight from his resting spot up a tree. He was just outside a human village, waiting for word from an old friend.

A child caught his attention as it came careening into view, charging up a hill as it giggled. __'Foolish child...'__ Kurama thought as the boy zipped around. Demons lurked nearby...demons besides himself who wouldn't mind munching on the bones of such and easy prey. Kurama made a face as the child giggled and laughed louder, unaware of the fox demon's presence. Pathetic creatures...What weak little fools humans proved to be.

Kurama shifted again and closed his eyes. He had more important things to think about.

It was mere days before his next meet with Kuronue. They had caught wind of a mirror...it had supposedly belonged to a God and would grant great power to the owner. In its handle were red gems, made from dragon's blood and crushed tear gems. Rumor had it there was a clan of ice maidens who could weep these mystical gems. A whole gem was worth quite a pretty penny...but none had ever been seen by Kurama's eyes. He doubted he'd ever lay his eyes on a whole tear mirror was a nice prize indeed...

Kurama's thoughts were interrupted by a high pitched scream.

Looking down he saw the small human boy being lifted in the air. A rat demon had taken the bait, and caught up the child in an easy swoops. Hissing and drooling it held up the child before him, enjoying the sight of the screaming little boy. Kurama noted to the child's credit, he wasn't crying.

Kurama frowned as the child kept screaming-ugh! What a headache! __'Just kill it already!'__ Kurama thought grumpily as the other demon seemed to be taking its time in frightening the child.

"Enough," the fox hissed, his ears pressed flat to his head as the child's bellows became louder.

Jumping from the tree, he ripped his hands through the other demon's skull as easy as one would through wet tissue paper.

The child fell with the rest of the demon's body, landing with a yelp on the ground. Kurama shook the blood from his hand. He hated it when people played with their food.

Big brown eyes stared wide up at Kurama as the fox demon loomed over him. Kurama leered down at the child. Again he mentally commended the child for not crying. What a brave little human for not bursting in to tears, like so many others before him.

"Thank you!" The child stammered his voice as wobbly as his legs as he got up, dusting off his brown yukata as he spoke, "y-you really saved me!"

"Run home to your mother..." Kurama snorted, rolling his eyes before taking a seat beneath a tree just adjacent to the one he had been in. He settled at the tree's roots, and closed his eyes, tail curling around himself as he tried to relax.

That should have been that. His good deed for the day. But to his annoyance, he felt the child draw closer. Opening his eyes, ready to shout or perhaps end the child's existence he was...slightly intrigued to see the boy holding out something wrapped up in bamboo leaves. With an arched silver brow Kurama accepted the gift.

The child grinned before practically shouting, "I'm Tokko Urameshi!" With a sly little smile, the child giggled and was off, tearing off in the direction of the human village.

Kurama blinked, one of his silver ears flopping over at the absurdity of the situation. Turning his eyes to the parcel, Kurama unraveled it seeing what appeared to be two rice balls. Taking the offering, Kurama ate it, amused he had won himself a snack.

"...Uramehsi...What a weird child."

Oh well. It didn't matter. He'd never have to deal with him again.

End


	6. Mistake

A continuation from chapter 4, Love is War. (Shizuru/Yukina, Kuwabara+Yukina).

Not all stories will be connected, and if they fall in the same universe as another story I'll list it above in some notes.

* * *

Yukina didn't realize she'd made a mistake until after it was too late.

She has been rather excited to go on her "first date." Kuwabara had asked her, and even explained to her what it meant...to him, to her...to the future of "them."

It seemed he liked her beyond the feelings of a friend, and now he had found the confidence to tell her that in a way she understood. Kazuma had always been kind to her, and made her feel warm and safe. She valued his friendship, and respected him greatly...she was not certain of her own feelings in the romantic sense, but she was eager to try this out with Kazuma. She believed in him, and their relationship...together they would figure this out. He was so good to her...surely she felt the same for Kuwabara.

The date was set for Saturday, and it had been a week of planning. A week of getting help from Keiko and Botan, of picking out an outfit (a cute a-line blue dress with white butterflies at the hem), of rules, on ways to measure how a good date should go, and what equaled a bad date. Yukina had considered asking Shizuru to help with a new hairstyle, but something had held her back that week. There was an ache in her chest at times when she looked in to Shizuru's eyes. It hadn't been going on long...and she wasn't sure what brought it up, but it seemed to only be with Shizuru. Yukina could only hope the tightness in her chest was some sort of temporary problem.

Yukina forced the strange feeling deep down, and had eagerly awaited Saturday. When the day arrived for the date, and Kazuma showed up dressed in a nice button up, and slacks, Yukina had immediately complimented him. He had looked so very handsome, and with a blush extended his arm, charming her further. He led her all over the city. He took her out to eat, and dancing, and showed her how to bowl. The laughter had been loud and lingering through out the whole night. Kuwabara's face has been alight with delight and happiness, and Yukina was happy to see Kuwabara so thrilled. She was touched her presence could do this for him.

When the night ended he brought her home, and walked her up the shrine steps-insisting to take her to her front door.

"Yukina..." Kuwabara's voice shook awkwardly as they arrived at the shrine, "I had a really nice time...thank you for being with me tonight. I hope you had...had a good time to."

"Yes...I had a wonderful time Kazuma."

"Good...good. You're happiness...well it means...it means the world to me," Kuwabara chuckled, sighing deeply.

At the doorstep, she waited expecting what Botan called, "a goodnight kiss." She'd been told about this act, and was eagerly looking forward to trying this final part of a date.

Kuwabara's face was so red it practically glowed. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, gently brushing them over her knuckles.

"G-goodnight!" He sputtered.

"Oh...its not on the mouth?" Yukain asked him, looking at the back of her hand. That had felt like nothing...and Botan had said it would be on her lips.

Kuwabara's eyes grew wide and his hand flew to the back of his neck, and her proceeded to rub it nervously as he explained, "Well! I-I had...I mean...I want to kiss you Yukina. If...if that's not too forward...if that's...if that's okay with you?" The question hung nervously in the air, and Yukina could only giggle at Kuwabara's floundering.

Holding out her arms she invited him to her, "Oh Kazuma...yes please. I would like to follow through with all the details of this date."

"We don't have to kiss on th-the first date Yukina! It's not like...like a custom or anything!" Kuwabara had tried to warn her.

"It's okay Kazuma...please kiss me goodnight," Yukina insisted.

She wished __now__ , that she had listened to him.

He had exhaled a nervous breath and leaned down. With gentle hands he took her face, and angled hers towards his. His touch was light, and exceedingly gentle. Despite his size, she believed he could hold a snowflake and have it remain perfectly intact. He leaned close and kissed her, his nose lightly bumping against hers as their lips met. It was warm, pleasant, and gentle...there was nothing wrong with this kiss. But when Yukina closed her eyes-it was not Kazuma she was thinking of.

Her eyes had closed, and Shizuru had popped in her head. The thought of Shizuru, at that moment of kissing Kazuma, made Yukina's heart explode with emotions-emotions she never felt around Kuwabara. Desire, yearning, giddiness, lust... _ _Oh God!__ She shouldn't be doing this with Kazuma! Her throat tightened as Kuwabara pulled away. He smiled at her, wished her goodnight and turned away, dazedly marching away from the ice maiden, unaware of her current state of mind.

She remained frozen in place at the shrine door...and this was where she'd been for the past hour.

 _ _'Oh God...I...I've done something terrible!'__ Yukina thought, pressing a hand to her mouth. She couldn't explain what was wrong...the date was fun. Kuwabara was a delight...but this was wrong. She did not __like__ Kuwabara the same way that he liked her...she had been wrong.

 _ _ **Wrong!**__

Shaking she turned for the door, and went inside. She had to...she __needed__ to do something. Going to the kitchen, she picked up the phone and dialed a number Kuwabara had taught her many times until she had memorized it. The phone conncected, and rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"Kuwabara residence..."

"Sh-Shizuru..." Yukina choked, tears flooding her eyes. Shizuru's voice had sounded so...lonely. Was it because of her? Had Shizuru's kind friendship been more? She knew...Kuwabara must have gushed to her about the night the two of them had shared. What did Shizuru think? Was she happy for Kazuma? Did she want Kuwabara and herself to be together? If Yukina told Shizuru her feelings, would Shizuru hate her?

"Yukina? Yukina what's wrong?" Shizuru's voice was alarmed on the other end.

"Please...please without alerting Kazuma. Can you please come over?"

Yukina didn't have to ask again.

Instantly Shizuru answered, "Yes-i'll be right there."

Yukina hung up the phone and went to wait outside. Folding her arms over her chest, Yukina paced back and forth, tear gems falling on to the porch.

She had made a mistake!

She had made a horrible mistake...she'd taken her relationship with Kazuma too lightly. She had asked for a kiss from him without understanding his feelings or her own heart.

...What would become of Kuwabara now?

He was at home, surely happy and excited. Imagining all sorts of dates, and dreams-that could __never__ happen now. Not with her. Not when Yukina's heart was awakening to these confused heavy feelings towards his sister!

"Yukina!"

Yukina's head sprang up, and there she was. Shizuru jumped over the last shrine step, and come racing for Yukina, her brown hair whipping behind her. Shizuru had on her jacket, and pjs...her shoes didn't match. Shizuru must have been in a hurry. Yukina leaped from the Shrine's porch, and raced towards Shizuru meeting the woman half way. Her hands instinctively flew up, and seized the taller woman's face. Yukina tugged the woman down, and pressed her lips against a shocked mouth. Shizuru froze against Yukina for a moment, bent at an awkward uncomfortable angle. But then Shizuru's arms were wrapped around Yukina and Shizuru was angling against the shorter woman, taking the ice maiden's breath away.

Shizuru was different from her brother.

Kuwabara had treated her like glass-gentle and soft...careful of her delicate form.

Shizuru was trying to melt Yukina. Shizuru's left hand lifted Yukina off the ground, her arm tucked into Yukina's waist, her right hand tangled into Yukina's hair, gently but firmly pulling her head back so that Shizuru could press her sure lips against Yukina's trembling ones. The emotions that bubbled in Yukina where tenfold of anything she'd felt with Kuwbara, and when she closed her eyes, she saw Shizuru's face in her mind's eye. Love and understand bloomed and exploded within Yukina's body, and the ice maiden only pulled away from the kiss, because all too soon Shizuru was tugging away.

Shizuru looked alarmed, confused...and maybe a little hopeful. She held Yukina away from her at and arm's length, clearly trying to find her footing.

"Yukina...but...Kazuma-"

"Oh Shizuru! I made a mistake!" Yukina choked reaching for Shizuru's face again.

Shizuru sunk easily into the touch, and captured Yukina's mouth again.

They were not ready to speak yet...even if they wanted to.

Yukina held tight to Shizuru for all it was worth, knowing that when they broke apart they'd have to face with what to say to Kuwabara. Yukina could only hope that this blunder could be remedied. That Kuwabara wouldn't be hurt by all this...that...that...

'Oh God...I've made a terrible mistake.'

Yukina rejoiced in her understanding of her new found love, and mourned the pain she would surely be causing her gentle friend who was unaware of the pain that would await him.

End


	7. Voices

He can hear them. They're smothering...Oh God. He's going to die down here.

Character(s): Main four

* * *

 _ _ **Turn right.**__

 _ _ **I'll rip you. I'll tear into your flesh and taste your meat!**__

 _ _ **RUN. RUN! RUN! RUN! RIGHT NOW! GOGOGOGOGO-**__

 _ _ **How does that rhyme go? The one mommy taught us?**__

 _ _ **Mister...hey mister. This way.**__

 _ _ **Don't listen. Keep walking.**__

 _ _ **Turn right I tell you! My bones are this way!**__

"Enough!" Kuwabara rasped collapsing hard against the cavern wall before he slid to the ground, whimpering as the voices rattled on inside his head.

Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke could only watch helplessly as Kuwabara collapsed. The lumbering man let out a low whine, and Yusuke took a step closer to his friend longing to help. Hiei caught Yusuke's wrist firmly shaking his head.

"Don't touch him. You'll only make it worse..."

"This is all my fault..." Kurama whispered voice laden with guilt, "I should have never brought you all here."

"...We had no choice..." Yusuke admitted, his fists curled in to tight balls, but his shoulders were tense and his voice was terse. He watched Kuwabara with unblinking eyes, and when Kuwabara flinched at some unknown thing, Yusuke turned and punched his fist hard into a stalagmite. It gave way like butter, debris flying several feet away from the force of the strike.

"GOD DAMMIT!"

"...I'm okay..."

All eyes were back on Kuwabara. He was rising to his feet, eyes narrowed into thin slits as if he was straining against intense light. "I can take this. Come on...lets...lets get out of here."

The four reikai had found themselves in demon world on a simple task for Koenma. Retrieve a stolen artifact, and oh - good news! - Koenma knew exactly where it was. This should have been an easy mission. No one mentioned the demon horde waiting for them, one that was so vast even Yusuke, on his rowdiest of days, couldn't expect to beat them all. The four had had no choice but to run, and as they fled Kurama led them to a mountain. Against the mountain wall, was a perfectly square cut entrance.

"Here! The Tunnel of Songs! It leads to Yomi's territory! We'll be safe here! The demons won't follow us," Kurama had cried.

Yusuke and Kuwabara had whooped, and made to enter the mouth of the tunnel, but Hiei's hand had shout out and grabbed Kuwabara's wrist. The force of the Hiri's grip caught Kwuabara off guard and he fell on his ass grunting loudly. Too surprised by the grab, Kuwabara only looked up at Hiei, brows raised in question.

"Kurama! We can't take Kuwabara in there! You know what they say that tunnel does to clairvoyants!"

"Wait, what? What does it do?" Yusuke asked, his eyes darting from the advancing demons, and then to the inconspicuous looking tunnel.

"It's said to be so haunted by the dead, that they'll drive a psychic to madness. Kuwabara will be completely opened up in there! We won't even be able to touch him with out making matters worse. Every thought that is in out heads will rattle in his skull, not to mention the voices of the dead. It's dangerous."

"I know, I know!" Kurama said regretfully, urgency creeping into his tone, "We are outnumbered...and this cave is dangerous, but there is no other way. We'll be overtaken if we head over the mountain-the easiest way is to go through this tunnel! And the dangers are only what we've heard."

"Meaning it could be worse!" Hiei snorted.

"Or it could be nothing," Kurama quipped back, but as he argued, even he seemed to be loosing faith in what he was saying.

"I don't know Kurama... Hiei may be right. This doesn't sound good."

"They're almost here..."

"We better figure this out now! We can help Kuwabara through the tunnel...but it is risky-"

"I don't like you talking about something being risky when it's not __you__ takin' the risk!"

"Easy Yusuke. Kurama has a point...this tunnel is the best way but there are dangers-"

"Enough arguing about what I can and can't do!" Kuwabara roared, the sound of the demon army approaching behind them. "Don't doubt what I can't and can't take! You guys ain't me!" Kuwabara's face set stubbornly, "I'll be fine, but if we stay here a moment longer we'll all be screwed! Let's go!" And with a wave of his arm, Kuwabara broke ahead of his friends and sprinted towards the cave, leaving his friends no choice but to follow him.

Kuwabara was able to run for 15 minutes inside before he collapsed. As his friends surrounded them, they knew then, that entering the cave had been a bad idea. Yusuke made the mistake of taking Kuwabara's arm, and at his touch Kuwabara began shrieking and howling. Kuwabara's eyes rolled in the back of his head and a voice not his own exploded from Kuwabara's body.

 ** **"Filthy piss-boy! I know you! I KNOW YOU!"****

Yusuke released Kuwabara horrified, and Kuwabara stilled before throwing up. Kuwabara blinked his eyes, and managed to focus on his friends. It was clear he was hearing something, and what ever it was was filling him to the brim with fright. At this point, Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke thought they should be heading back.

"No...no," Kuwabara had panted as his friends argued. "The demons are waiting for us back there. Just...just...we gotta keep going. We gotta get out of here. Gotta move forward. I can take it. I can take it. It's just noise. I can take it."

Weakly Kuwabara got to his feet, and shakily headed down the cave's path.

Kuwabara was now on his 6th collapse, each collapse worse than the last, and it took longer for him to recover after every mistep. The voices were so loud. It was like he was being attacked from the inside. There were wild, terrible moments when he thought of attacking his friends. And in longer moments he thought of killing himself. He was going to lose it here.

Yusuke punched another stalagmite, cursing at his own helplessness.

"Kuwabara...Kuwabara...is there anything...anything we can do for you?" Kurama whispered, just hovering near Kuwabara, worry etched deep in Kurama's face.

Kuwabara closed his eyes tight.

 _ _ **"Filthy, filthy, filthy, filthy!"**__

 _ _ **"Twinkle twinkle little star-"**__

 _ _ **"Pigs scream and cry just like mankind. Scream and scream, and eat, and eat..."**__

 _ _ **"Don't listen. You'll drown here."**__

 _ _ **"Mom! Dad! I'm lost!"**__

 _ _ **"Here little girly...come over here. Let me make you feel nice."**__

 _ _ **"...Kazuma...kill them Kazuma. It's the only way..."**__

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kuwabara roared, palms pressed painfully over his ears.

Kurama flinched away from Kuwabara, guilt heavy in his eyes.

Kuwabara opened his eyes his vision swimming with the concerned faces of his friends. Damm...if he could just block these voices out.

"T-talk to me..." Kuwabara wheezed, suddenly rising to his feet. "Talk to me as we walk...just...lets talk. Anything. Good stuff. Just...just anchor me."

Kuwabara took one weary step, and Yusuke immediately began to talk. "So Keiko is in to spanking."

 _ _"__ ** _ **Its heavy isn't it. The burden of it all. You can make it stop you know. Why should you suffer?"**_**

"N-no Urameshi-no. I don't need to hear this. That's not what I meant by t-talking!"

 _ _"__ ** _ **They're coming. Coming!"**_**

"Now wait a minute...this sounds educational..."

 _ _ **"Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake..."**__

"You're kidd...kidding me right? I don't wanna hear a-about spankings and Keiko right now."

 _ _ **"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE-"**__

"How do you know she's in to spanking Yusuke? I thought you two hadn't...well...taken that step."

 _ _ **"I'm gonna eat you up. Soul and body...devour your piss riddled brain."**__

"I come over to her house right? And she's watching a spank video-I shit you not! She knocked me out with a roller blade."

 _ _ **"They're in the walls."**__

"You deserve it...sh-shouldn't barge in on Keiko like that! Ladies need privacy."

And so it went. Kuwabara tried to focus on his friends voices over the bombardment of screams in his head. He still collapsed, and he threw up a couple more times, and in a tense terrifying moment, Kuwabara actually drew his sword and looked at his friends with wild angry eyes but... nothing happened. It took a moment, but Kuwabara put his sword away, and asked when the next group get together with Jin and the others would be. The conversations were working. His friends voices overpowered the screams enough for Kuwabara to just focus on his friends.

Kuwabara was arguing about the cutest breed of cat when he finally stepped outside the toxic tavern. The instant he was outside, the silence overwhelmed him and swallowed him whole. For a moment he was plunged in darkness, and the next thing Kuwabara knew he was waking up in Yusuke's arms.

"Hey! Kuwabara! Are you alright!? We're out now! Come on man...say something!"

Kuwabara blinked slowly eyes dragging from Yusuke's face to Hiei's, and then Kurama's.

"Are you alright? Speak to us Kuwabara, " Kurama implored, guilt still making his voice thick.

Hiei said nothing, but his jaw was set tight as he waited for Kuwabara to speak.

Kuwabara closed his eyes, letting his body completely go limp against Yusuke. The three demons immediately swooped in closer to their ailing comrade. Three separate hands shot out and rested their palms against their friend, silently giving their support as they waited for Kuwabara to speak.

"...I don't know why that tunnel is called, 'Tunnel of Songs." That's a really inaccurate fucking name," Kuwabara finally moaned, his words slurring as he spoke.

The tension in the air instantly broke, and peals of laughter were soon washing over the quartet.

Kuwabara smiled, his eyes closed in relaxation, and went to sleep.

End


	8. Thai Food

Summery: Keiko eats things other people just shouldn't.

character(s): Kuwabara, & Yusuke.

* * *

"My asss...myyyyy aassssss!"

"Your own fault man."

"How could you do this to me?"

"I didn't do this to you! Keiko did this to you!"

"Ughhhh...why did I eat that?"

"I told you ****NOT**** to man!"

"Uhhhhhggggg Urameshiiiii...my ass hurts soooo much!"

"Your own fault dude!"

"But Keiko looked so happy!"

"She's always happy! Don't ever eat Thai food with her. She's a freak of nature! She could eat a ghost chili pepper, while rubbing a Carolina Reaper in her eyes, and still be smiling and happy! She's a freak man!"

"Uggghhh there's a demon in my asshole!"

"Nah man, there's no demon in your asshole."

"Uggghhh Demon hell shit spawnnnn."

Yusuke finally collapsed on his side, laughing hard as tears streamed down his face. Currently, Yusuke was sitting outside Kuwabara's bathroom, leaning up against the door as Kuwabara apparently was having the worst shit of his life.

Yesterday, Kuwabara had gone out with Keiko and tried a recommended Thai dish. Yusuke had tried to warn him that Keiko was a freak of nature-but Kuwabara didn't listen. Kuwabara was only all too willing to try Keiko's favorite dish, "The Sweating Curry." Yusuke had another name for the curry :

The-bleed-out-your-asshole-for-six-days-nightmare-dish.

"How can someone as cute as Keiko do this to me?"

"Because she doesn't think she's a freak."

"Urameshi...I think i'm bleeding. Are you my best friend?"

"...Yeah..."

"Dude. Check my asshole-dude. Dude, Please."

"WHAT? HELL NO!"

"PLEASE! What if I'm dying!"

"YOU ARE NOT DYING! And I'm not checking your asshole!"

"But Uramesshiiiiiiii...we're best friends!"

"No man! No! We're not those type of best friends!"

"Yesss we areee. I'd look at your asshole."

"Then you have an attraction to men man."

"Urameshi-"

"Look, I'm not judging you. You can be gay if you want. Doesn't bother me. But if you're willing to look at my asshole-you're gay."

"Urameshiiiiii come on. You'd look at my asshole if it was serious!"

"There is nothing in this world that would make me look at your asshole Kuwabara."

"...What if a demon injured my butt."

"...I'd make Kurama do it."

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-Oh God! There's more! Uggggghhhhh poop-magedden."

"Hang on I'm calling Keiko. She needs to be a part of this."

"Good! This is her fault i'm suffering! Make her come and hold my hand as my ass gives birth to the next demon enemy bent on destroying the world!"

Yusuke made the call.

Keiko absolutely refused to come over.

End


	9. My Neighbor Hiei

Summery: Kurama and Hiei have a Movie discussion

Notes: Cut it close today X3

* * *

"...I don't see how that was scary," Hiei sulked as he exited a movie theater with Kurama.

"It's what's scary to humans Hiei," Kurama reasoned, patiently listening to Hiei's expected complaints. He'd taken Hiei out to a movie in hopes to experience an amusing reaction from the shorter demon. In retrospect, Kurama now thought a horror movie wasn't the best idea. They had certainly experienced for more frightening events then anything that movie had portrayed.

"Why are humans afraid of a man in a mask?" Hiei grumped, taking Kurama's leftover popcorn. He popped a few buttery morsels into his mouth, his eyes lighting up as he devoured the light treat.

"Its not so much that he was in a mask...its that he was stalking them. Hunting them like an animal...and then systematically torturing them, and finally killing them," Kurama said, resisting a smile as Hiei took his popcorn. "It's primal instinct to fear someone stronger than you...to fear the hunter."

"Hmph. I can think of two fools whose instincts must be broken!" Hiei snorted tilting his head back and pouring the last of the snack into his mouth.

"...Oh I don't think we're __that__ bad," Kurama said coyly, knowing Hiei wasn't referring to themselves.

"You know which two idiots I mean fox!" Hiei snapped, crumpling up the popcorn bag and tossing it over his shoulder. "Yusuke and Kuwabara seem to seek out stronger enemies, and go diving in head first. Yusuke can at least take on a man in a mask, but Kuwabara charges in recklessly, never aware of his own weaknesses. The man in the mask could easily take Kuwabara out!"

"Don't be so hard on Kuwabara. He's plenty strong, and only getting stronger."

"He's fragile, weak! He will only last so long, and it'll be much shorter if he doesn't stop tagging along!"

Kurama frowned. This sounded a little harsher of a critique than usual for Hiei. Peering down at his shorter comrade Kurama assessed the shorter demon's expression before speaking, "You and I both know you're just show-boating here. You're very fond of Kuwabara. If you weren't you wouldn't fight along side him, nor would you allow him any alone time with your sister...what's bugging you?"

Hiei frowned, sourly shooting Kurama a look. Pursing his lips, and narrowing his arms Hiei mulled over his thoughts and finally answered, "That thing before the movie. The commercial-"

"Ah, you mean the previews!"

"Yes. In one of those...previews it showed that human child. He was happy and playing while his father watched. And then he was in that place with the tubes, and strange equipment-I think it was a lab. And then he died. There was nothing attacking him, but he died. They called it am fatal illness? A simple unseen force just took that human out with no effort."

Kurama put his hands in his pockets a sobering expression passing over his face, understanding slowly dawning, "The movie was fiction Hiei."

"But it can happen, can it not?" Hiei countered, red eyes peering up at Kurama, "Humans can die from such easy things. Things that wouldn't even slow you and I down."

Kurama nodded, "Yes. Yes...humans can get sick and die. There are many things that could be the end of a human, many things that wouldn't even make us demons blink. Humans know their fragility, in theory. Some act like they don't know their limitations, but they do. But humans shouldn't be hindered just because they are afraid of death. Don't you think that would be foolish Hiei?"

Hiei pursed his lips, and for several minutes was quiet. He sighed deeply, tension leaving his shoulders, "Weakness is foolish."

Kurama smiled and slipped an arm around Hiei's shoulder, "We are all fools Hiei. Our bonds make us weak, but they make us strong too. To see a friend sick can cripple us and embolden us to take action to help...don't you think that's fascinating? Our greatest strength comes from our greatest weaknesses."

"You're talking about love aren't you?" Hiei asked making a face of disgust.

Kurama laughed, "Yes, I suppose I am."

Hiei snorted, "Can't you just agree with me instead of spouting off some emotional bullshit?"

"Can't you just admit you value myself, Yusuke, and Kuwabara as your friends, your family-and that scares you?"

Hiei tensed, a dusting of color gracing the tip of his nose, "No."

Kurama laughed, "Then no, Hiei. I expect we will have a lot of conversations like these."

"...Pain in my ass."

Kurama simply laughed in returned, and quietly planned to show Hiei an animated film. If Totoro didn't have Hiei in a fit of emotion-nothing would.

End


	10. Top 10

Yusuke discusses some top 10's with Kuwabara.

Character(s): Kuwabara, Yusuke

Notes: This idea came about from a weird discussion with my best friend

* * *

Between the madness of saving the world, street fights, and the occasional once-a-week visit to school, there were times when Yusuke and Kuwabara had some down time. And on a few occasions, there were days where they were bored. With a heavy rainstorm nearing a typhoon level of rage going on outside, and every movie and game played or pushed aside by the two teens, this was one of those few boring days.

They might have lost their minds if Kuwabara hadn't started flipping through his sister's magazines.

"Boy they gotta lot a lists in these girly mags..." Kuwabara sighed casually flipping though the pages, "Top 5 hottest guys, top 10 lipstick colors, top 20 hottest couples..."

Yusuke was seated next to Kuwabara on the brown love-seat, though he had chosen to 'sit' in a much different manner. He laid upside down on the couch, his feet hanging over the back, and his head hanging down over the seat cushions. His face was beginning to turn red from all the blood rushing to it, but if it bothered him he didn't say so.

"Girls like lists I guess..." Yusuke mused, his voice a little nasally as everything slowly rushed to his brain.

"Yeah but...this is all boring shit. Top 10 shoes? Come on!" Kuwabara sighed, sticking out his lower lip and narrowing his eyes at the magazine.

Yusuke stilled, and then slowly got up, blinking as the blood began rushing back down from his head. "Well okay then...Top 10 fights Kuwabara. Worst starting first."

Kuwabara raised his eyes from the magazine peering at Yusuke, and a slow grin broke out on his face. "Okay Urameshi...now we talking fights I almost died in or fights that were too easy?"

"Too easy. The fights where you almost die are the good ones!"

"Okay well that's arguable...but worst fight..."

And so it went. The two had found something they could do to pass the lazy boring day away. Over the next couple of hours the two had gone over top ten fights, top ten oddest Botan quotes, top ten Koenma hissy-fits, top ten scariest ghosts (that Kuwabara had encountered), top ten Keiko slaps, and top ten favorite ramen flavors.

It was late in the night now, the rain had stopped, and the two teens were still going through lists as they played a lazy game of Mario Kart. It had come back around to Kuwabara's turn to come up with a list, and after three losses he finally had it. "Okay, okay! I got it! Top ten asses Urameshi!"

Yusuke made an impressed sound, "Oh...well now! There we go Kuwabara. I didn't think you would have it in ya...but lets see..." Yusuke made a few noises as he seemed to go over a list of posteriors in his head.

"Okay, starting with worst ass to the best ass, the school nurse, Iba sensei!"

"She's 84!"

"Its still the worst ass!"

"OKay okay, number 2?"

"Number 2 is Minami-chan from class c. She wears granny panties too!"

"Oh man...Wait. How do you know what panties she wears?"

"Flipping skirts."

"Urameshi, I outta slug you!"

"Hey, shut up! You asked! Okay number 3...Kyoko, that female ogre who works in Koenm'a office."

"...She wears the spiked pants right?"

"Yeah that's the one! Number 4, Ichigaki."

"Ah...ew...you looked?"

"Yeah It was one of the first things I noticed. He had a better butt on his chin then on his ass!"

Kuwabara howled with laughter, and had to hit pause on the game. It took several long minutes for both young men to calm down, before Yusuke could begin again.

"Okay number 5, and here's where the asses start getting good. Genkai."

"..."

"Don't give me that look. She's as old as a dinosaur and she's still got a git shapely ass. She's fucking fit!"

"...Okay I'll accept that."

"Number 6...Yukina."

Kuwabara reached over and punched Yusuke in the arm. Yusuke allowed the hit, he had expected it anyway.

"Number 7, Kurama."

"...Really?"

"Take a look man. It's kinda weird but he ain't got much when he's in his Youko form, but he's got an ass now."

"...This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard from your mouth."

"Just look."

"I don't think I should check out Kurama's ass, man!"

"An ass is an ass, and his is a good one!"

"Alright, alright! Just...keep going..."

"Number 8...Shizuru."

"Fuck you. FUCK. YOU."

"Look, I'm sorry, she's stacked! Front and back!"

"Not another word! Lets just move on!"

"OKay well my last two are a tie."

"Oh well...who."

"Keiko..."

"That I figured..."

"and you."

Kuwabara had not expected that. Turning sharply to peer at Yusuke, he met Yusuke's waiting gaze.

"WHAT?"

Yusuke held up his hand defensively, "Look I'm an ass man! And I judge all assess equally! It doesn't matter whose ass I'm looking at! And you and Keiko? You got nice asses."

Kuwabara squinted at Yusuke looking as if he was trying to decide on what to do next. Color dusting over Kuwabara's cheeks, the taller man finally muttered, "Okay I gotta know...why our asses?"

"Well Keiko has a nice bubble butt! It's perfectly round and bouncy, and with just the right amount of fat and muscle. Ideal ass!" Yusuke gestured wildly as he described Keiko's apparently perfect butt. Pausing, he continued with, "And then there's yours. Huge ass. Not because it's too big or anything, your ass is just being in proportion to your body. But it's all muscle. You gotta have a really tight fucking ass."

Kuwabara's whole head was bright red, "You're really serious...you think I have a great ass."

"A fine looking ass, man. 10 points. You can ask Kurama, he agrees!"

"You've discussed this with Kurama?!"

"Actually Chu brought it up, and Kurama agreed. Chu bets we could even bounce a quarter off of it! Don't worry I punched Chu in the face. He's not allowed to be checking out my friend's ass."

"...Not that i'm interested but, why isn't he allowed to look, but you and Kurama apparently can?"

"Chu bounces from one person to the next. He's not allowed to check you out if he'd just ditch you later. You deserve better than that! Now if Kurama and I were to hit on you-we'd stick around. You can count on us."

"...Thhaaaannnkkkss?"

Yusuke shrugged grinning, "But yeah. You and Keiko. Perfect asses. Dream team asses right there." He held up both hands, squeezing imaginary butts in the air.

Kuwabara could only stare at his best friend, as a blush consumed his face. Eventually he turned from staring at Yusuke, and looked back at the game. He clicked the 'x' button of his controller, resuming the game, "Wow," was all Kuwabara could find to say.

End


	11. Thinking of You

Keiko pines for Yusuke. (Keiko/Yusuke)

Character(s): Keiko, Kuwabara, Yusuke.

* * *

I need to study.

 _ _I need to see Yusuke.__

Seeing Yusuke is impossible right now. He's...

 _ _Across time and space in some other plane of existence?__

Maybe? I don't know how demon world works...

 ** _ **That's**_** _ _what you should be studying!__

Ahhhk! I need to study!

 _ _Don't let me stop you.__

Ugh. Gotta study!

 _ _I wonder if Yusuke is eating well.__

'The geological understanding of time is broken up in two parts...'

 _ _The geological understanding of time is: when does Yusuke come home home?__

'Relative age, and absolute age...'

 _ _Relative Yusuke, absolute Yusuke.__

OMG CAN YOU SHUT UP!?

 _ _Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke-__

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ARGUING WITH MYSELF!

 _ _Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke,Yusuke-__

SHUT UP!

 _ _YUSUKEYUSUKEYUSUKEYUSUKE-__

"OH MY FLIPPING-UGH!" Keiko shrieked tossing her book across the room, heaving loudly as her geology book hit her bedroom door.

She really needed to be studying, but her stupid mind could only think of one thing: Yusuke. How was he doing? Where was he now? Was it night or day time in demon world? Was their a time difference?...Had he met some pretty demon woman? Was she some badass amazon who could fight just as well as him, and send Yusuke swooning? Where they making out as she sat here FREAKING OUT?

Keiko groaned and dropped her head against her desk. Yusuke had been gone for half a year now...and all her thoughts were consumed of him. What was she going to do if he didn't return soon? Most likely drive herself crazy until he returned...

Was he thinking of her?

Did he miss her?

Did he think of her at all?

Was he happier over there?

Closing her eyes she brought her hands to her face and rubbed her temples. Sometimes she wished she'd fallen in love with someone a little more stable. Someone who would be here for her...She wished she wasn't so selfish. It was __good__ that Yusuke was gone going to find himself. It was good Yusuke was going to learn to understand his new predicament. He would always be Yusuke Urameshi, the little boy she'd met by the sandbox. But he was also a demon with some crazy father (sort of?) and new powers...and Keiko could understand and respect that Yusuke would need time to sort this all out.

She just wished she could be with him.

Sighing deeply she picked up her cellphone, making plans to text Kuwabara.

If anyone would understand her loneliness it would be him. Misery loved company after all. Kuwabara and her had a polite relationship at best, but over the past few months they had grown close. She would have never been able to admit this to Yusuke, but a part of her had always resented Kuwabara. She had been Yusuke's best friend...and then Kuwabara had suddenly taken that position.

Keiko hated to admit it...but she had been jealous.

It was frustrating to no end to be jealous of someone like Kuwabara. Kuwabara was wonderfully sweet, and refreshingly respectful. He'd always been polite, and spoke so highly of her, and treated her with a courteous gentleness that made her think of the kind nobles she would read about in books. It had been a large weight on her chest for her not to be able to return his kindness. But with Yusuke absent, she had been finding herself really relying on Kuwabara. Getting to know Kuwabara with Yusuke gone...well it was actually a blessing and made it easier to get over any last remnants of bitterness she might have felt for the larger hulk of a man. And over the passing months in Yusuke's absence Kuwabara had been her quiet and supportive confidant. She was very grateful that Kuwabara had been kindly seeking her out to keep her company and normally keep her mind off Yusuke.

If there was one good thing that was coming out of Yusuke's absence, it was her growing friendship with the young man.

Before she'd even punched in the number, there was a soft knock on her door.

Turning she was surprised to see Kuwabara standing in the hallway. He had two milkshakes in his hands, and an awkward smile on his face.

"...Kuwabara?"

"I uh...I just had this feeling you might need some company?" Kuwabara offered awkwardly, shrugging a little bit and avoiding eye contact. His ears were a little red, as he shifted from foot to foot, nervous about coming over to Keiko's house unannounced.

Keiko got up, and in a few short strides had wrapped her arms around Kuwabara's waist in a grateful hug.

Why had it taken her so long to see the value in the lovable warrior of love?

 _ _You were too busy looking at Yusuke's sweet ass.__

. !

End

* * *

Notes: I like to think that Keiko was a little jealous Kuwabara at times. Mainly because she had been Yusuke's whole world until he started making more friends, starting with Kuwabara. And not only that, but Keiko would have known Kuwabara and Yusuke fought ever day, so I reason she'd feel really protective over Yusuke when it came to Kuwabara. I do think they'd get closer in Yusuke's absence thought :)


	12. Righteous

He was the good guy...right?

Character: Risho

* * *

He was doing this for the light. He was the good guy-they were the righteous warriors, and anyone who opposed them were the enemy.

That's what he was telling himself.

He was doing it so he and his friends could live in the light.

That's why it was okay Gama died. That's why it was okay Gama sacrificed himself in that fatal battle with Kurama. It was okay that Gama would never get to see the light-he was dying for it. Gama knew that is might come down to this-he had known. So it was okay he was dead.

It really was okay.

It was okay that the rich bureaucrats were making up rules and messing with team Urameshi.

That was fine.

It wasn't his team, it wasn't his life, they weren't his friends.

It was okay to cheat.

Clearly the council knew a more righteous, and deserving team when they saw one-and Team Masho deserved a life in the light.

It was okay for Toya to fall too.

If Toya wasn't strong enough, or cunning enough to grasp victory-then he didn't deserve it.

He didn't want it enough.

It was fine when Bakken mercilessly beat up an unconscious man.

Kurama deserved it, who cares what happened to the fox.

It was also okay when Yusuke punched out Bakken.

Bakken was too much of a loudmouth. He should have stopped trash talking, and just finished Urameshi when he had the chance.

It was no loss for Bakken to get wiped out in the end.

Talk shit, get hit...that's all there was to it.

It was even okay when he Toya started doubting him and spouting off about honor.

Foolish Toya!

Didn't the idiot know this was all for them? This was so they could live their lives in the light!? Have a home? This fight needed to be beyond honor! Sometimes unjust means were needed to get justifiable ends! Stupid Toya!

Stupid Toya...

But...

But why did he lose in the end? Why was he lying here now Koto's voice ringing out his team's loss, and Urameshi's win.

Why the hell did he lose against a half dead kid? There was no way that pathetic pig should have been able to stand on his feet, and fight him! How the hell could a human take so much abuse? Why wouldn't that fucker stay down?

...It was now as Risho was laying flat on his back, aching from the burning attack of an honorable man, and reeling from the sting of disdain from his former teammate's eyes-that Risho realized...maybe. Maybe it wasn't okay.

Maybe...maybe he'd been wrong.

And that was when Risho let go of his dream of a righteous man, and lost consciousnesses as an immoral soul.

End


	13. Book

A moment between Keiko and Yusuke (keiko+yusuke)

* * *

"Hell has frozen over… you're reading!" Keiko exclaimed loudly, causing Yusuke to jump.

He cringed as he looked up at her, and shoved the book behind his back, "Ah Keiko…lay off!" He puffed up his chest, and tried to look angry. His face twisted in a scowl that would frighten any man or demon, but it merely made Keiko giggle.

"Don't sulk!" She cooed sitting next to him, looping an arm with his, "Come on! Tell me what you're reading!" She placed her head on his shoulder, giving her best smile, trying to soothe the embarrassed fighter.

Yusuke flushed, and frowned deeper, shaking his head stubbornly.

"Oh come on! I won't laugh at you! I'm glad to see you reading!" Keiko continued to soothe the savage beast, and pat Yusuke's arm gently.

Yusuke sighed deeply, and pulled the book from behind his back.

"It's nothing…nothing much. Just…you know…it sounded cool…and the cover is sweet!"

Keiko peered at the book admiring the cover, quietly agreeing with Yusuke. The cover depicted a young teen standing in rushing waters, holding a sword. His dark hair was moving with an unseen turbulent wind, his back to the viewer. He was staring out at the city-scape in front of him, his head titled up, and lighting flashing in the sky.

"Percy Jackson and the lightning thief…I don't think I know that one. What's it about?" Keiko asked, reading the book's name aloud.

Yusuke cleared his throat, "Well I'm only half way through…but it seems to be about a kid who is the son of a god. Some greek weirdos. But his father...was you know. Never around, it's just been him and his mom. His mom is with some crummy asshole, but it's all to protect this kid it seems. And he's not the only kid of a god either, there are more. There's Annabeth…"

So without any spoken agreement, it was decided between them, that they would spend their afternoon discussing the interesting new series Yusuke had picked up. Keiko wondered if it was the adventure of the book, or the loneliness of a boy with out his father, that had attracted Yusuke in to reading.

End


	14. Shoes

Summery: Kuwabara makes an overzealous comment or No one can get under Hiei's skin like Kuwabara

Character(s): Hiei, Kuwabara

* * *

"Holy fucking shit dude."

Hiei flinched, nerves on edge as Kuwabara spoke. Maybe if Hiei didn't respond he could ignore him...

"Holy. FUCKING. Shit. Dude!"

Hiei growled in the back of his throat as a large hand clamped on his ankle and hoisted his leg up off the ground from it's prone position. From Hiei's reclined position he glared up at the pompadour sporting human, whom was now making a face of disgust at Hiei's feet.

"You need new shoes! There's barely a sole left…and are you using __bandages__ to keep them together?" Kuwabara continued, taking Hiei's other ankle and inspecting the other shoe as well.

"I advise you to quit touching me if you like your face unmarred…" Hiei warned, his feet in a comically perfect position to kick into Kuwabara's face.

Kuwabara complied, but frowned at Hiei, red brows knitting together, "You need new shoes Hiei."

Hiei snorted, and closed his eyes-the conversation over. (Or so Hiei stubbornly believed.)

Kuwabara frowned at Hiei's closed eyes, and looked back at the shamefully worn down shoes upon the short warriors feet.

"…Your body is a weapon Hiei. You wouldn't let your sword dull or rust-you can't let you feet or shoes get in this condition. If your shoes fell apart in battle and tripped you up-and then someone actually got the upper hand on you-you'd never live it down. Ever." Kuwabara paused and added, "I would ****never**** let you live it down…"

Hiei growled an snapped at Kuwabara like a wild animal, startling Kuwabara so bad he fell on to his butt with an, "oof!" Hiei glared daggers at Kuwabara, his frown curled in an almost child like pout-before he disappeared from his once comfortable resting spot, and Kuwabara's presence.

The next time Kuwabara saw Hiei however, Kuwabara couldn't help but grin at the new shoes residing on Hiei's feet.

End


	15. Fraidy Cat

Hiei doesn't understand Kuwabara.

Character(s): main four

note: Tornado knocked out our power and i'm all thrown off for writing now :p Boo! I hate getting knocked off a pattern-its hard to get back on it then!

More important note: This story was inspired by Hlel on tumblr, based off some art they did. They have a very charming ask blog,

* * *

Hiei didn't understand Kuwabara, and he was pretty sure he never would.

"Get THAT away from me!"

"Oh my God Kuwabara! It's just a fucking centipede!"

"It's like 10 fucking feet tall!"

"No it's not!...It's only four feet!"

Yusuke was currently holding a rather large demon species of centipede in his arms, the creature squirming as it was held aloft. It was harmless, not poisonous like the human kind, and to demons they made for good pets. It was however, much larger than the human species of centipedes, and this bug had grown four feet long and if allowed to live could possibly grow up to 11 feet in length. Kuwabara had gone several shades whiter upon seeing the bug, and was trying to keep away from Yusuke, who had taken it upon himself to torment his best friend. Rather comically Kuwabara was giving off howling high-pitched screeches anytime Yusuke came near him, arms holding out the centipede in mischievous delight.

"Kuwabara, that bug really is harmless. Why...Yusuke could even __throw__ it at you, and the bug wouldn't pose a threat," Kurama's sickeningly sweet voice called out.

Kuwabara and Yusuke both looked at Kurama in a moment of stunned silence. Yusuke then broke out into the biggest grin while Kuwabara snarled, "Kurama, you fucking troll!"

Soon Kuwabara was running screaming from Yusuke as the the youth began chase, holding the centipede high over his head, trying to take aim of his target. Kurama took his place at Hiei's side, Hiei shaking his head, "How cruel, Kurama."

"I say we deserve to be able to blow off some steam...and this is an amusing way to do that," Kurama stated with a grin, his eyes glinting playfully.

The four had just completed a small mission as a favor to Mukuro. A group of slave traders had been spotted trying to pass through her territory, but do to other matters, she had requested for Hiei to take care of the problem. Yusuke had caught wind of the task, and decided to make it a "group bonding activity," and just like old times the four of them had gone out to face the odds. The mission had been very easy, but the sheer number of slave traders had made the mission a long one.

Now they were heading back towards Murkuo's home, and had stumbled across the giant bug which was making Kuwabara scream in panic.

"Come on Kuwabara! It loves you!"

"No-don't Urameshi!" Kuwabara shrieked dodging the centipede as it was projected at him.

Hiei glanced down as something brushed against his leg. Another centipede, this one only about two feet long, but just as thick as the longer one, was trying to crawl over Hiei's foot. Hiei stooped down and picked up the bug, glancing over at Kuwabara.

"Hey Kuwabara," Hiei called.

Foolishly, Kuwabara turned to face Hiei, only to receive a face first of squiggling, wiggling, centipede.

Kuwabara exploded into a girlish squeal, his whole body jerking into a giant convulsion. He flinched into himself, balancing up on one leg as he sank into panic and fear. He quickly lost balance, and fell back into a sloping ditch, and with an evil giggle, Yusuke chucked the larger centipede on Kuwabara, sending Kuwabara into more hysterics. Kuwabara's shrieks turned into howls as he continuously flinched, curling in on himself, and only managing to draw the bugs closer to his body-not push them away.

The sight was so hysterical as Kuwabara panicked over the large bugs, that even Hie found himself laughing easily along with Yusuke and Kurama.

Kuwabara had just managed to brush the bugs off of himself and sit up when a tremor ran through the ground beneath their feet.

"...The hell?" Yusuke rasped out as he was knocked down to all fours from the force of the tremor.

There was a loud ripping sound as the ground near Kuwabara opened up, and a large black translucent hand reached out and grabbed Kuwabara the fingers closing fully around Kuwabara's entire body. The air around them seemed to create a sucking vortex and knocked the rest of the prone team off their feet. Kuwabara didn't even have time to scream as the hand pulled Kuwabara through the ground, the crack closing up after him. The earth sealed up, as if there had been no giant hand that spirited Kuwabara away, and for a moment all was quiet.

"KUWABARA!"

Yusuke was up on his feet charging up his spirit gun within a matter of seconds, Hiei and Kurama scrambling closely behind. Yusuke fired a large blast right where Kuwabara disappeared, and the ground gave way revealing a large dark underground cavern. Wasting no words, the three demons descended into the darkness.

Immediately, an invisible force pressed against the three, slamming them down deeper in the dark, a mangled voice shrieking loudly at them as their bodies were pressed flat from an unseen pressure. What ever had them pinned coiled around them, and squeezed hard against their chests. Hiei choked as he felt energy being sapped from his body as air was trying to be wrung out of his chest.

"I can't fucking see!" Yusuke snarled from somewhere to Hiei's left, his voice strained as he struggled against the unseen force.

Hiei grunted and turned his head towards the sound of Yusuke's voice, blinking in the unnatural darkness. Hiei could see nothing, nothing at all.

"Something is wrong with this cavern. The darkness isn't normal...something is taking my energy!"

Yusuke didn't seem to hear Hiei, his worry for his friend so great. Yusuke merely continued to scream and curse into the dark, his words not always coherent.

"KUWABARA! KUWABARA?!" Kurama shouted from Hiei's right, voice lost as another twisted voice howled over them.

Hiei flinched as the roar passed over them. The voice was mangled and otherworldly-its howl wrapped around Hiei and choked him with a startling fear that Hiei had never felt before. Kurama and Yusuke stilled for a moment, and Hiei was sure they felt it too-this unspoken terrible dread that the voice brought. When it quieted, the fear went with it, and Hiei began to struggle once more.

"KUWABARA!"

"KUWABARA! ANSWER US!"

A cold sense of dread crawled up Hiei's spine as he couldn't help but think for all their screaming, Kuwabara's voice was the only one not heard.

Yusuke began firing off random shots in the dark, the blue light of his energy casting some light on the large black snake like coils that were wrapped around the group. After every shot he called out desperately in the dark, panicking the longer Kuwabara did not call back in return. He fired off another blast of energy, and for a second, just in front of him Hiei thought he saw the outline of a tall man, and a white face. A lump formed in his throat, a cold sweat chilled his skin, and fear squeezed at Hiei's chest like a vice. He pursed his lips, his throat constricting against this foreign feeling of terror. It was as if this intense fear wasn't his, but belonged to something else in the cavern.

"Yusuke! YUSUKE! You have to stop! You'll bring the whole cave down on us!" Kurama cried, his voice shrill from terror.

The others must have been feeling the unnatural horror as well, Hiei reasoned.

"I don't care! KUWABARA! KUWABARA! KUWABARA!" Yusuke howled, his voice cracking with terror.

There was something here, and it was possessing the three of them in some way-Hiei was sure of that. Hiei closed his eyes willing himself to remain calm. They needed to be calm in order to get out, in order to find Kuwabara-

 _ _Calm down. And be quiet.__

Hiei shivered, his body stiffening and eyes snapping open as Kuwabara's voice whispered in his head.

"K-KUWABARA?" Yusuke called into the darkness, his tone suggesting he had also heard their missing friend's voice.

 _ _It's me. Just relax. You need to be quiet now.__

"Where are you?" Kurama asked, his voice only slightly raised, and sounding less terrified.

 _ _Shhhhh,__ Kuwabara's voice soothed inside their heads his calming tone making Hiei relax, __I'll explain soon...but she's going to keep attacking until you all quiet down. You're scaring her.__

"Her? Her? WHOSE THIS 'HER?' KUWABARA?"

 _ _Man, shut the hell up will ya?!__ Kuwabara's voice snipped, and Hiei almost laughed. The terror that had gripped them was edging away now, as if it too was being soothed away by Kuwabara's voice.

 _ _No matter what...just remain quiet. Just for a little while.__

And so, for two solid minutes that felt like an eternity, the three demons could only wait quietly in the dark, coils of pressure still squeezing down on them. Finally they were released, and the darkness seemed to lessen. There was that same sucking sound from earlier, and the cavern slowly lit up with a dull light cast off from crystals stuck within the cavern's walls. About three feet in front of them stood Kuwabara, stopped in front of a dried out twisted corpse, that he was whispering to.

"See? You had them scared...that's all. People are loud when they're scared," Kuwabara whispered, attention solely focused on the remains in front of him.

The body was small, and twisted up in large roots. The clothing on the body was torn, and dull, the color of the fabric completely washed and faded away by time. But Kuwabara talked to this small, twisted corpse, and even paused between sentences as if he was hearing an answer back.

Hiei blinked, not exactly sure what he was seeing. He cocked his head looking over at Kurama and Yusuke who were sharing similar surprised expressions.

"Kuwabara...what's going on?" Kurama ventured quietly, placing a hand on Yusuke's shoulder in case the former street punk started yelling again.

"This is Kumiko...she was buried alive down here by her village. She heard my screaming and got scared, that's all," Kuwabara said, still remaining stooped down in front of the corpse.

"...That's a flippin' mummy Kuwabara!" Yusuke hissed, his tone suggesting he was severely creeped out by the small corpse.

"I guess you guys wouldn't be able to see her... but yeah she's dead. She's a ghost. But trust me there's a little girl here, and she's just been scared. This place is really dark," Kuwabara answered lifting up his arms towards the mangled dried out corpse.

"Kumiko, why don't you come with me? I live at a shrine on top of a hill, and it's very sunny. And at night if you're scared, I'll hang a lantern above where you sleep...okay?" Kuwabara whispered. There was a pause, and then Kuwabara smiled, seeming to have gotten his answer. With gentle hands he reached out and placed them on the corpse's arms.

As soon as he touched the body the cavern was flooded with orange light, and for a moment Hiei could see the little girl Kuwabara had been conversing with. The child had white hair, and pale blue skin. She was dressed in a red and yellow kimono, and plain wooden sandles. Two small horns daintily crowned her forehead, and six watery eyes, all focused intensely on Kuwabara, stared at the human who was touching her. The child was reaching for Kuwabara eagerly as the psychic took her into his arms. As soon as she was properly cradled in his arms, the light was gone, as was the clear form of the child.

Kuwabara held the small corpse tenderly to him, as if he was holding a sleeping babe.

Kuwabara looked out at his friends shocked faces, and he shrugged awkwardly under their stares, "Seems like her village sacrificed her to appease some Gods or something...she's been alone and scared ever since. I guess I woke her up with all my screaming. She'll be better off at the shrine."

No one was able to say a word.

Kuwabara shifted again, frowning uncomfortably as his friends scrutinized him.

Finally, Hiei removed his cloak, and placed it gingerly over the child's corpse.

"Okay...harmless bugs make you scream like a girl...but scary mummified dead kids you're cool with?" Yusuke sighed, tucking his hands behind his head uncomfortably.

Kuwabara shrugged, "I mean...ghosts are kinda scary...but you know. A lot of them are just...sad."

Kurama smiled at Kuwabara, and clapped a hand on his arm. He then turned away towards the direction from where they'd fallen, looking to assess how they would climb out.

Hiei glanced up at Kuwabara's calm face, and as his eyes raked over Kuwabara for injuries spotting two child-sized hand print bruises around his throat. As calm as Kuwabara had been, the ghost has tried to kill him. But Kuwabara had forgiven her and offered her spirit rest. He could be fearless in face of a twisted spirit-something you couldn't fight, but would be terrified over a harmless bug.

"I just don't get you human," Hiei muttered quietly, turning away from Kuwabara to join Kurama.

Hiei was fairly certain that he would never understand Kuwabara, nor would there ever be anyone like him. Privately, Hiei thought that was unfortunate.

End


	16. Such a Pretty Face

**Hey been awhile. So this was going to be a story I updated every day-but last semester I did some volunteer teaching. Should have been no big deal-but then the head teacher just... stopped showing up. So me and three other volunteers were just shit out of luck and stuck teaching-which was nice, but i was way overworked!**

 **SO this is going to continue to update, but prolly not everyday. But the story served it's purpose for me, it got me reconnected with writing! So I hope you like it. If you want to really see how far along I am, you can check out my archive of my own account, under the same name, Kazima Kuwabara.**

Summery: Kurama has a unique problem

* * *

"What are you tearing up?"

Kurama blinked, coming out of his stupor as Yusuke's voice awoke him from the mid-morning haze he was currently trapped in. Slowly turning to his friend, Kurama met Yusuke's face with a blank confused stare.

Yusuke raised his brows, tilted his head, and pointed a bright purple card Kurama was currently tearing up. Kurama was currently running an errand around town for his mother, and Yusuke had decided to tag along. The two had been out walking around town, taking a rare moment to enjoy one another's company, but Yusuke had noticed something odd. Strangers, mostly men dressed in flamboyant suits, were passing Kurama these fliers, or cards that Kurama would take, and then fold or tear up without a glance.

Kurama looked down at his hands and the card he was tearing, and then jolted as if he suddenly realized what he was doing.

"Ah. This...well...these cards...these fliers...well. Hmm. They're asking me to be in a... well a movie."

Yusuke's brows shot up into his hairline, and then he grinned, "Wow! That sounds cool! Why tear those things up?"

An amused look crossed Kurama's face, "Not...just any type of movie Yusuke."

Kurama passed over the torn card, and Yusuke fit the card together like a puzzle. After a moment and some squinting, Yusuke sputtered, "This is for porn! They want you in porn!"

Kurama laughed at Yusuke's surprise, and when he calmed sighed loudly. "Ah...yes. I've gotten quite used to be handed these."

"...But you're a guy!"

Kurama laughed, "There are men in porn Yusuke."

Yusuke blinked looking flustered that Kurama was just taking this all so casually. "I mean...like...have they ever talked to you? Do they ask you exactly what they want you to do?"

"They can be rather explicit, especially if I'm on my own," Kurama sighed, half shrugging nonchalantly.

"Shit...and these people just hand you these cards on a regular basis? Do you get...bothered a lot to do porn? Do they realize you're only nineteen?" Yusuke was utterly flabbergasted as he looked between Kurama, and the torn card in his hands.

"Since I was very young they've approached me, I would dare say I was being asked since middle school! Mother used to chase them while hitting them with her her purse and loudly swearing at them! She'd cause quite a scene, it was very admirable of her." Kurama laughed wiping his eyes as if he was recalling a fond memory, and not a disturbing circumstance.

"This is fucked up!"

"People are vile Yusuke...this happens to a lot of young woman and young men. It starts out as requests to work at hosts clubs...and then on to something a little worse."

"It's illegal!" Yusuke snapped, clearly not amused as much as Kurama was.

Kurama sobered up a little at Yusuke's anger, touched by his friend's concern. Placing a hand on Yusuke's shoulder, Kurama gently spoke, "It is wrong...but unfortunately for them I'm a demon. And well...If I just so happen to accidentally plant some seeds on them that will slowly consume their flesh before causing them to die in a terrible twisted manner...well that's just unfortunate for them isn't it?"

Yusuke blinked, and dropped the pieces of card Kurama had torn to the ground. Shoving his fists into his pockets Yusuke shook his head, "Damn. I mean...good, those bastards deserve to die...but...just...Damn Kurama. I never wanna piss you off."

"That's funny, you're really quite good at it."

"Oh ha-ha Kurama, you know what I mean!"

As the two resumed their walk, Kurama was highly entertained and delighted to see Yusuke punch out the next person who tried to offer Kurama a card.

 **End**


	17. Fuckity Ow

**Summery: Hiei had one job, just one job!**

Warning: for ocness, but alcohol does that to a person. X3

* * *

Hiei was currently sitting at the edge of his bed, face in his hands, groaning loudly as the idiocy of what had transpired slowly set in. In deep slumber, with an ice pack on each pectoral, slept Kuwabara, who was, of course, the source of HIei's troubles.

"I had one job...just one job! Watch the human! Keep him out of trouble! Fuck!" Hiei groaned his words slurring a bit.

Really, this was all Yusuke's fault.

Yusuke had brought Kuwabara to his home in the Makai for one reason or other. Bonding, friendship, fights...something along those lines, and of course some demon had showed up intent on destroying Yusuke and being an all around dick hole. The demon was fairly powerful, and Yusuke, rather than risk Kuwabara, had whisked his best friend off to Mukuro's territory, found Hiei, made up some bullshit story about having a barbecue and needing to go hunt down a "demon cow" ( _there are no "demon cows." There are regular cows. Yusuke you fucker._ ), and left Kuwabara with Hiei, while Yusuke went to go take care of the jerk waiting for, "a battle of epic proportions," at his door.

Hiei, not sure what to really do to keep Kuwabara entertained and from getting suspicious, took some, perhaps foolish, advice from Mukuro...He took Kuwabara to a demon bar.

Two hours later they were both shitfaced, and stumbling into a tattoo parlor.

All Hiei knows is that he didn't start sobering up until ** _after_ ** Kuwabara had required two nipple piercings.

And here they were, the still drunk Kuwabara passed out on his bed, and Hiei trying to figure out what to do about this current situation.

"Shit...what was I thinking?" Hiei slurred, dragging his hands down his face.

Behind him, Kuwabara stirred and moaned, Hiei's loud groaning having woken the human from his drunken slumber.

"...Mmmmm? Mm...oooowwwww...owwww. Fuckity owww. My boobies hurt."

"...You don't have boobies."

"Yes I do...we all have boobies...and they hurtttt," Kuwabara whined, his lower lip stuck out in a pout.

"No. We all have nipples. Your nipples are what hurt," Hiei argued pointedly, his own inebriation not making him the best problem solver at the moment.

"Oh...oh...owwwww."

"Go to sleep..."

"Why do they hurt?" Kuwabara belched out the last word, frowning in disgust at his own actions, and maybe the taste of a 100 year old demon whiskey.

"...Ask Yusuke when he gets here. It's his fault."

"I knew it..." Kuwabara whispered, before slinging and arm over his eyes and passing back out.

Hiei rubbed his eyes and then slid to the floor. This _was_ Yusuke's fault. Fuck this. He was going to sleep.

And with a drunken grunt, Hiei lay down on the floor, deciding he'd deal with this mess as soon as Yusuke arrived and woke them back up.

...Hiei would never babysit humans again.

...

...

...And Kuwabara did not keep the piercings.

End.


	18. Mortality

Summery: Death has never felt so final

* * *

"See you tomorrow," he had said. See you tomorrow…

"Fucking prick…" Yusuke whispered harshly as he strode far away from the hospital ward that contained a tired old husk, that 60 years ago had been in its prime. Sixty years ago that body had been young, and fit, awkward and gangling, and laughing- _always_ laughing! That body had harbored the very soul and heart of the best man Yusuke felt he would ever know, or ever could hope to know. That body had belonged to Yusuke's greatest friend, Kazuma Kuwabara.

Yusuke was almost out of the hospital when Kuwabara's final words, whispered on his very last breath, crashed all around him.

The dark haired youth stopped in the lobby and sunk to the floor in a squat, tangling his shaking his hands in his hair as an angry outburst overtook his body. Bitterly, Yusuke began to sob.

"You fucking prick! You liar! FUCK!" Yusuke choked, unaware of the scene he was creating in the lobby.

See you tomorrow…

"Fuck!"

See you tomorrow…

"God fucking dammit!"

"See you tomorrow," Kuwabara whispered, his hand curled around Yusuke's sleeve. Kuwabara's hair was snow white now, and his face was so sagged and wrinkled, Yusuke could scarcely see the young man he used to be. It was a stark contrast to Yusuke's young face that looked no older than 15.

"Kuwaba…" Yusuke didn't even have time to finish saying Kuwabara's name before the warrior of love was gone. It had been far faster than Yusuke ever could have imagined. Kuwabara's hand crumpled away, and Yusuke grasped at the emptiness. See you tomorrow he **had** said. What a terrible lie…

Yusuke sobbed, his whole body shaking, his grief painful and unending. A nurse came to Yusuke's side, and with great effort she had him deposited in a chair as she tried to calm Yusuke down. His hands tangled further into his hair, and he choked as the wracking sobs made it hard to breath.

He would never see Kuwabara tomorrow...

Yusuke had no memory of how he left the hospital or got to his territory. But he had indeed made it home, and crawled into his bed, weeping without shame. The night would be long and the next day was years away. During the long, and what would be, a sleepless night, Yusuke's friends had arrived in slow, sad droves. They came in pairs, arms looped around another in silent support. They would come to Yusuke's room, slip passed the unlocked door, and lay a hand on Yusuke's leg, or just stand before him, before departing to drink in Kuwabara's memory in Yusuke's kitchen. There were no words to be said-everyone was grieving, and everyone knew nothing could be said to comfort Yusuke.

Only two people stayed in Yusuke's room as the man grieved. Kurama and Hiei had arrived and collapsed on Yusuke's bed, their grief just as heavy and hard to handle. They mourned together and made no move to get up when the morning light crept into the bedroom. They'd been through all this loss before. Each one harder than the next. Kuwabara had been the last of their human friends to linger, and now he was gone. As gone as teachers, as gone as friends, as gone as mothers…

Death had never felt so final.

From somewhere down the hall loud footsteps echoed. They walked with a steady purpose, and were at the door within a minute. The door banged open, and a figure rushed in before the room's occupants could even properly stir. The figure stooped and flipped over the mattress, spilling three shocked young demons to the floor.

"Get up you guys! We got a problem in spirit world and Koenma needs your help!" A young and familiar voice proclaimed.

Three heads shot up and mouths fell open in gaping shock.

"Kuwabara?" Yusuke croaked, voice raw from hours of sobbing.

Kuwabara, young and sporting a bright orange pompadour, stood before them. He was dressed in a blue kimono, as bright as his old middle school uniform. There was an easy smile on his face, and a brightness about him that had never been with him in life. With a twirl of his hand he summoned an oar, and promptly leaned against it as he stared back at his red-eyed friends.

The shocked silence crept on and on as Kuwabara bobbed his head between his trio of friends.

"Jesus, you three look like hell!" Kuwabara at last snorted.

"I…I don't understand?" Yusuke whispered, tears of joy and disbelief streaming down the tear tracks left behind from the other night.

Kuwabara smiled, his bright expression flushing for a moment as Kuwabara fought his own tears of joy, "Well…I got a job. Koenma could always use a skilled reaper. Besides... I said I'd…I'd see you tomorrow…and I'd hate to let you down."

 **End**


	19. Compassion

Summery: Out of Compassion he would kill his mother. It was really the decent thing to do.

* * *

When he was five, Kurama decided it would be best to kill his mother. Out of compassion and mercy, of course. He had no ill will towards the woman, but it would be cruel to leave her alive. If he left her alone, without her child and without a husband, she would surely grieve and wither away into madness, and then death. This was really a merciful act he was contemplating.

Shiori had been kind to him, and had harbored him and taken care of him…he owed her a merciful death. Better for her to die, then live alone and in misery.

He just had to wait a couple of more years…then his full strength would be back and he could go on living the life as the great Youko Kurama, just as he had wanted…

She kissed his cheek on his sixth birthday and his eyes fell to the bandages on her arms. They would scar the doctor had said, but Shiori had taken it all in stride. No sense worrying about something so trivial as a scar when her boy was unharmed.

He looked at his mother, and she cupped his face.

"My sweet boy…don't be sad. My arms are alright."

"Mom…what if it had been worse? What if you cut your face, or all of you got sliced to shreds?" Kurama asked staring up into his mother's eyes.

She smiled sweetly at him. No matter what he said, no matter how he tried to put her off, she would always have an endearing look of love for him.

"A mother's life is for her child. Once you were born, my life was not mine any more. It's yours. A scar for your health and happiness is nothing…these little scars are nothing at all to have you my dear boy."

A lump formed in Kurama's throat at his mother's words, and he wrapped his arms tight about her waist. "I love you mother! And if you're life is mine then you can't let yourself get hurt, or get frail. You've got to be happy, and healthy forever!"

Shiori laughed and embraced her child trying to soothe his fears. "My, my…you've always been so serious…I promise Shuuichi I'm stronger than I look! Your mommy can take anything!"

He squeezed her tight in response, and promised to take care of her. She would never be sad again if he could help it. He would wrap up all the happiness in the world and give it to his mother, she would never be miserable or suffer as long as Kurama lived. And it wasn't out of compassion that the thief spared her life, but for his own well being.

End


	20. Tree

Summery: "Bury me..." Kurama whispered.

Notes: This is an old challenge from my tumbler where you write a story under 300 words.

* * *

"Bury me under a tree…" he whispered eyes closed, and voice raw, "Bury me under a tree and lay my friends next to me. I want to be with them side by side rotting…and fading away. I want us to become roots, branches, and leaves. I want us to reach for the sun…as we sleep and live forever in a swaying echo of life."

"Kurama…" a choked sob whispered desperately from the shaking voice of a normally chipper shinigami.

"Bury me…under a tree…"


	21. Sleepy

Summery: Eagerly, Yusuke and Kurama watch as an elusive beast falls asleep.

Notes: I do take requests for this series of drabbles i'm doing-though it may be slow for the next week or so as I set up my new computer! It would normally be a quick process but downgrading from windows 10 to windows 7 apparently too taxing a request. But to the few that have asked, i will get to your requests its just easier atm to post my old work from my tumblr! Sorry!

* * *

"Lookit 'em!" Yusuke whispered in a hushed excited whisper. When the person he was addressing didn't respond, Yusuke gave them a sharp kick.

Kurama looked up from his book annoyed, but Yusuke put a hand to his lips and gestured to the side, adjacent from the pair. Kurama sighed, and rolled his eyes, but looked to where Yusuke was energetically pointing.

There on the porch, sat Kuwabara playing with some wild cat that liked to visit Genkai's shrine, and behind Kuwabara was Hiei. Hiei was turned away from Kuwabara, and his head kept nodding into his chest. It took Kurama a minute, to understand what he was seeing, but then he too was excited.

"Hiei's…falling asleep," Kurama whispered, book forgotten.

He'd never seen Hiei relaxed enough just to nod off in front of them out in the open, and within reach too! Even if you could see Hiei asleep he was normally in a tree and far from grasp.

"He's leaning!" Yusuke whispered his tone in hushed awe. Yusuke scooted closer to Kurama, his eyes glued on the small demon who looked ready to fall completely asleep at any moment, with Kuwabara completely unaware.

And sure enough Hiei was showing signs of exhaustion. As his head kept sharply dipping into his chest, his body also was beginning to sag backwards, while his hands unclenched and re-clenched as Hiei struggled to say awake. He would bump into Kuwabara if he kept falling asleep, and there were so many possibilities of Hiei panicking if that happened. With baited breaths, Kurama and Yusuke hoped to see a silly outcome, one that led to Hiei getting embarrassed and Kuwabara defensive. If the pair was lucky, perhaps it would spark a ridiculous fight.

And then of course, the best part of this predicament was that Kuwabara was oblivious to _everything._

By now, the stray cat had settled in Kuwabara's lap and was contentedly purring away in the large man's protective embrace. As Kuwabara focused all attention on the small feline, the few accidental bumps from Hiei went completely unnoticed.

"Come on…" Kurama whispered as Hiei's eyes closed.

Yusuke made a high pitched noise, that sounded a little like, "Oh my god just-!"

Kurama and Yusuke leaned forward waiting for something to happen as Hiei continued to sway.

Yusuke's hand came and gripped Kurama's shoulder as Hiei's eyes closed and did not open. Kurama held his breath when Hiei titled back…and then…and then...

Hiei now fully asleep, slumped against Kuwabara's back. Kuwabara's back straightened and his shoulders tensed. He turned his head slowly back catching sight of the slumbering Hiei, and then he turned to the now asleep cat curled in his lap. A funny twisted expression crossed Kuwabara's face as he sat still, unsure of what to do.

"Oh God…he's trapped. Kuwabara's trapped!" Yusuke giggled, eyes watering with tears as he fought to keep his voice down.

Kurama had both hands slapped to his mouth and whispered, "Look at him! Look at his face! P-poor Kuwabara!"

And like two loons the pair giggled as Kuwabara helplessly became the pillow for two wild animals.

 **End**


	22. Nail Polish

First request fic! They wanted:

 _Could you write a story with Botan in it? Anything will do! kthnxbai!_

This made it a lil more difficult actually, but I hope you like this. Hints of Botan/Koenma.

* * *

Botan watched closely as sixteen year old Yuna Hiruga giggled over the latest fashion trends with her best friends on the phone. Yuna was currently going on about a new shade of nail polish called, "Pearl blush." All the girls-if they were "cool"-needed to wear "Pearl Blush" on Wednesdays. It would be a new trend.

Botan wondered what about this particular shade of nail polish denoted someone's, "coolness factor."

As Yuna continued to rave about the polish, Botan looked at her blank nails. If she indulged in such activities, would it make her more human? She had been human once... would she feel human again if she tried the latest trends, called friends, and giggled loudly?

She supposed she would need friends first...

But would she feel... anything if she acted as the giggly teenage below her?

Yuna grew silent, and Botan snapped her attention to the teenager. Yuna was done talking and began to ready herself for bed. Yuna had to brush her hair one hundred strokes, then shower, then brush her hair one hundred strokes again before she felt ready for bed. After choosing between the stripped pajama set, and the spotted pajama set, Yuna pulled a picture of the boy she liked from a book. Yuna sighed girlishly at the boys image, and kissed it many times, before tucking it back in her book.

She stretched, yawned, and then threw herself into bed, before falling into a hasty sleep.

Botan gently lowered herself from her oar to Yuna's pink carpet.

Yuna would die sometime before midnight tonight due to a house fire.

In the mean time, Botan glanced at Yuna's face. Yuna was so bubbly, and peppy... did that carry over in death? Could you be cheerful in death?

Timidly Botan reached out for Yuna's nail polish, and with a nervous hand untwisted the cap. Borrowing just a little, Botan applied the "Pearl Blush," to her left thumbnail. Holding her hand before her, Botan felt her heart flutter. This...this was nice.

Botan smiled, gazing at the small color she applied to her nail. She was so lost admiring the bit of color she missed the first wisps of smoke entering Yuna's bedroom. Botan came aware of the smoke at the sound of Yuna coughing in her sleep. Looking to the teen, who would soon come to pass, Botan only hoped Yuna remained asleep. It would be easier.

Looking back to the nail polish, Botan picked it up carefully. She turned it once over in her hands, before tucking it into the sleeve of her kimono.

One day she hoped to laugh with girls who were Yuna's age, and together the could wear nail polish and giggle about boys they liked...

She wondered later, as Yuna sobbed quietly on the back of her oar, if that was ever possible for reaper. Botan glanced behind her, and she wondered if she should say anything. She didn't normally say things to the dead... well sometimes if she had to. But she was really supposed to ferry the souls, their comfort and rest would be later in the afterlife.

"...You know the boy you like is going to name his daughter after you. He always admired you and wanted to see you naked!" Botan suddenly blurted.

Yuna looked up at Botan with red and wet eyes. She was staring at Botan as if she had three heads. Botan offered a rusty sheepish smile and muttered, "That...that wasn't maybe the best ice breaker was, it?"

Yuna scrubbed her face, and sniffled, "Um...No. No it wasn't."

An awkward silence passed over the pair, before a tiny giggle escaped Yuna, "That was...kind of weird."

Botan chuckled, relieved to hear the girl laugh, if even weakly, "Yes sorry... I don't talk much to the people I pick up!"

"You make it sound like you're a taxi service!" Yuna snorted, her laughter a little watery.

Botan grinned, "I kind of am when you think about it!"

By the time the pair had reached spirit world, Botan had felt more alive than she had in many, many years. When she allowed Yuna in to Koenma's office, Botan felt lighter than she had before. Perhaps she could greet all of her ferries... after all why did death have to be so scary.

 **Fifteen years later...**

"Don't move!" Shizuru scolded as Botan tried to pull away from the eyelash curler.

"But it's freaky!" Botan whined.

"Oh come on you scaredy-cat!" Keiko giggled as she applied a second coat of blue nail polish to Botan's fingernails.

"I don't see why I have to do this torture! Why not you two!?" Botan whined, even if no real complaint hung to her words.

"You're the one who mentioned you thought Koenma was cute, and you can't go in to work looking the same every day! Not if you're going to catch a man!" Shizuru answered with a tut.

"He won't be able to resist!" Keiko agreed, giggling with excitement as she closed the blue polish.

Botan flushed red, her heart beating hard. Carefully she held her hand before her face, trying not to turn her head as Shizuru continued to poke and prod at her face. She looked at the blue polish and remembered a bottle of pilfered polish that sat on her desk in spirit world. She had revered the stolen nail polish like a charm... and it felt nice to think she was finally getting what she had wanted all those years ago.

Shizuru placed the eye lash curler down, and picked up some tweezers, "Okay, Botan, turn your head to me!"

Botan cringed, trying to remind herself that she had wanted this...

 **End**


	23. Fistfight

So this was a combination of two requests. Someone submitted the word "fistfight," to my blog and wanted a story from it, while someone here wanted a Kurama and Hiei comfort story. So I combined to two into the one story below! Hope you all like it.

I had a lot of trouble with this being as i needed a new computer (finally got it all settled) and then Kurama and Hiei relationships of any types are especially hard for me to write. I feel like their friendship is very complicated, and really hard to sort out, so I hope i managed well enough!

* * *

Hiei closed the door with a soft click, but the sound could have been as loud as as a door slamming with how quiet the room was.

"His ribs are busted, and the toxin is making his way through his blood stream," Hiei announced, voice quiet and steady.

Kurama, who was using a damp rag to wash his hands, did not look up at Hiei, "I administered the nightshade mixed with the demon's foxtail plant. He'll have to fight, but the toxin will pass through him and he'll recover. It will be painful…but he will survive."

"…And what do we tell him about…?" Hiei let the question hang in the air.

Kurama knew what he was asking.

Kurama examined his nails, looking for any missed blood or grime, "…We tell him the truth. It was a calculated decision, we chose the one who would survive. As hard as it was, we made the choice-"

Hiei's fist collided with Kurama's face.

Kurama was rocked to the side, the rag falling to the ground. A moment of stillness hung between the pair, and seeming to not have received the response he wanted, Hiei lashed out with the other fist, punching Kurama on the other side of his face. This time, the hit sent Kurama from his chair on to the floor.

Hiei grabbed Kurama by the scruff of his shirt, and pulled the fox close, and glared down hard at his companion. Hiei's red eyes bored down into Kurama's marred face, willing the man to meet his gaze. Kurama refused to meet it.

"Look at me!" Hiei snarled, his red eyes flashing, and skin flushing red from anger.

A silence passed, and Hiei shook Kurama roughly, "Dammit-I said, Look at me!"

Kurama finally looked to Hiei's face, and trembled at what he saw. Hiei's face was a mingle of tormented emotions. Anger, sorrow, hurt…all displayed open on Hiei's face, and worse yet, were the tears that cascaded unbidden down his face.

"We are not going to go in there and tell Yusuke we chose his life over…over Kuwabara's because of some calculated bullshit-especially when its not even true! That's not why….that's…" Hiei seemed to realize he was crying, and released Kurama from his grip.

He turned away, his fists curled tightly at his sides, and his shoulders shaking as his head stooped low into his chest.

Kurama eventually dragged himself up and approached Hiei. There was a pregnant moment where the air was stiff and filled with tension and unasked questions. But Kurama's arm came up and he wrapped Hiei in a hug from behind, and shared a rare tight embrace with his longtime friend.

Hiei did not pull away.

"…You didn't… we didn't let Kuwabara die because we thought Yusuke was the one who would make it. There was nothing calculated about it. We weren't…"

"Kuwabara didn't even give us a choice," Kurama whispered, his voice sounding strained and raw. He bent his nose low, pressing it into Hiei's hair, clinging to the shorter demon for comfort.

"When I reached for him, Kuwabara knew I could only…I only had enough strength left to lift one of them. Kuwabara…he looked at me. He took my hand…he let go…and he fell…he fell so far…

Hiei closed his eyes at Kurama's soft words, and tried not to think of a long body curled and crumpled on the ground. Alone and broken, lying in the dirt.

"He let go on purpose," Hiei muttered.

"Yes."

"…Why anger Yusuke and tell him that you would choose his life over Kuwabara's?"

"Yusuke needs someone to be angry at-"

"Kurama-"

"So do you. So do I. It…Yusuke shouldn't be angry at Kuwabara"

"So you'd make yourself the target of everyone's anger? You're a fool!" Hiei spat, his hand coming to grip Kurama's wrist.

Hiei closed his eyes as Kurama pressed his wet face to Hiei's neck.

"You're a fool, " Hiei criticized again, eyes closed tight, and hand gripping Kurama's wrist. He would not let go, nor would he let Kurama go through with his half cocked plan.

And for a long time, until the silence came too much to bear, the two held each other, trying to find comfort in the desperate embrace.

End


	24. How to be a Messenger

Summery: Koenma hates war. War is the one thing you can't plan for. You never know who will die.

* * *

Koenma hated war. It threw everything off schedule. You could never account for how many deaths there would be, who it would affect. It caused paper work pile up for eons after the war, and when one mess was finally figured out, another war would start. War was the one thing that would ruin a person's planned death.

Everyone, and everything has a schedule...and war was the one thing that put a wrench in all those carefully laid plans.

He was taught from the time he was very, very, young-that death had a schedule, and a strict one too. It was a shinigami, or grim reaper, or messenger of death-whatever you wanted to call them-job to ensure that everyone died on schedule...if there were any abnormalities they needed to be reported to him. War was usually the only abnormality. And war was always a big abnormality.

During a war, especially the big ones, Koenma would never get to be at his desk.

Instead he'd be roaming the battlefield watching his workers scramble as they tried to get everything in order. It was always too much...so often spirits would slip by. They would eventually become ghosts, distorting and twisting until they were unrecognizable. Only a psychic could help them find peace then. There was just too many dead...and Koenma couldn't save them all...even if he wanted to.

The few spirit Koenma managed to greet, he would offer them a deal. Always the same message:

"I'm sorry...you have died. No, we did not plan for this, and no we can't bring you back in this life. War ruins everyone's schedule...But I can offer you three things. The first thing I can offer you is a rest. You may choose to move on and be with your loved ones at this time, though be warned you still need to be judged. If you have a sin to atone for from the past, that must be taken in account, though time will be taken off your sentence due to your current situation."

Koenma would often pause to let this first offer sink in, "The second thing that I may offer you is a clean slate. You can choose now, to be immediately reincarnated and start over in a different place, with a different family, and a different life. I can't promise you it will be a good one, life is what you make it...and sometimes outside forces can make your life bad. All I can offer your is a sort of..."do-over." The choice is yours."

Kurama would take in a deep breath, and with a slightly imploring tone finally offer the third option, "And the third thing I can give you...is a job. You can come work for me. If you haven't noticed...living and dying can be a mess. Death is especially messy. I need all the help I can get. You could work for me...there are countless jobs that need doing, and if you work for me you'd have a chance to help other souls like yourself. But there is a catch. You appearance may slightly alter. If you've committed a hefty amount of sins, you will become an ogre-for all eternity. Nothing wrong with ogre's though...my best workers are usually ogres...but for the sins you committed, the outside must reflect what you once did. And still, there's more...

You may visit your deceased loved ones, with special permission of course...but you can never rest. Until the world is over, until the sun burns out, until the universe goes dark, you will work for me. You will not be reborn, and you will not get to go to a final resting place-not until it is all...done. There is danger in this job...your spirit can be destroyed and you'll stop existing. We'll train you to try and prevent this. The hours are also terrible. You'll work every day, every night, all day for me in aiding the souls of this world and the next. Don't get me wrong...there are some occasions for you to rest and mingle with your fellow workers...there are a lot of workers...but you will be terribly busy. You'll also see many sad things too if you work for me.

Abused children...homeless heroes, woman and men who knew only pain and suffering...and perhaps you fall in that category too. It can be a lot to deal with...it's a hard job...but somebody has to do it...Well...what do you say? What would you like to do?"

Koenma was never hopeful about people taking the last option.

They often chose to move on, or be reincarnated. Statistically speaking, only one person a decade would decide to work for him.

It was never enough...he was sure with all the war and strife, even if he had people volunteering every day, it would still never be enough.

Nowadays, when Koenma was really down from walking the fields of a battlefield he would remember the time a young woman had agreed to volunteer.

Her village had been burnt down from a war. Her people had done nothing wrong...their village has just been too close to the warring conflict. Her people had been raided by needy warriors, and in their greed, they had left no one alive. The greedy battlers had taken the village for all it had and left nothing but a dark stain in its wake.

The land was black and ashen beneath his feet when Koenma arrived.

He had roamed what was left of the village, listening to the mournful wails of the dead, and watching his workers do their work in consoling the dead.

He chose to stop in front of the spirit of a woman, who sat all by herself near the edge of what was once a village. Her spirit was burnt and blackened, with no hair or clothes, and her eyes were closed. None of Koenma's workers had greeted her-they instead were rushing around chasing after the other spirits of the dead, whom were screaming and crying out in their anguishes. Her head titled upwards at him as Koenma greeted her, but she did not speak. He gave her the same speech as he'd given the others, offered her the three things he was allowed to offer.

Hesitantly her hand reached out for him after he was done talking.

Koenma took her twisted blackened hand, and placed it on his arm, giving her dirtied fingers a squeeze. From touch alone, Koenma could tell this woman had known no kindness...she needed a rest.

"...What is your name?" A surprisingly sweet and even cheerful voice slipped past the burnt and twisted lips.

"Ah...Koenma. I am Lord Koenma," Koenma cleared his throat trying to sound more important-he had been terribly young at the time. And youth made him long to impress others-even if he was a God, and had no need to impress. But even a God could be shy, awkward... and lonely when they were young.

The woman giggled, dust shaking from her spirit as she she laughed, "I would very much like to work for you Lord Koenma...no one waits for me in the afterlife and I don't want to try living again...you're the first person to ever treat me with kindness...I would like to stand at your side."

Koenma had never been more stunned, or more moved in his life, and he expected he never would be.

Koenma got up first, and took both the burnt woman's hands, "As you stand you you'll feel a little dizzy...it will be your mortal form falling off...don't be frightened."

Taking her hands firmly, he helped keep her balance as she stood. She rose to her feet, wobbling like a newborn calf, but when she managed to stand her skin was clean and white. Her old skin lay in a dusty pile at her feet. Her eyes open, they were bright and pink. Koenma leaned forward and kissed her forehead, sealing within her body a contract of sorts. She now worked for him, she was bound to him, just as all the others were. When he drew back from her, long blue hair had sprouted to replace the hair she'd lost.

"Whats your name?" Koenma asked, realizing he hadn't asked for it.

"Botan...my name is Botan," the woman asked, hugging herself from the chill she now felt.

Koenma removed his cloak and draped it around her nude body, "Botan eh?"

"Bingo sir!"

Koenma had smiled to himself back then...and he was smiling now.

On especially dark war fields...he like to recall that first time he'd ever heard Botan's bubbly voice.

 **End**


	25. The Job of Death

Summery: A conversation between two hard workers.

Notes: If I'm recalling correctly, This was written pretty shortly after the previous story. They inspired each other you could say.

* * *

"It's a hard job. But somebody has to do it. You're never appreciated, never wanted, and it causes misery, despair, and anger for most…but it must be done. It's a natural thing in life, it **must** be done. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir! I mean _ma'm_! Ma'm!"

"…It hurts others…and it will hurt you. There will be people in your life…that you meet. That you love. That you've watched over, that you've invested time in... You'll feel like a parent, a friend, someone who has come to love and respect the life that plays out before you! ...But it's still your duty to take them in the end…you have to do your job no matter what!"

"Yes ma'm!"

"…They might beg. They might cry. But you can't change their fate unless they have died before their time, or some other such clause has been broken. It's all in your handbook. Now, are you ready?"

Botan whirled on her young charge hoping to see a bright and eager face. Instead the young girl before her had a wilted expression. Botan frowned, and then gently took the girl by her shoulders.

"Are you ready Hinageshi?"

The red head frowned, and after a moment asked, "Is there anything I can do for them before I ferry them?"

Botan smiled then, and bent down to the young girl's level. "Yes. Greet them with a smile. Shift their sadness into something else-even if it's sheer annoyance at how happy you are. Remind them that friends and loved ones are waiting for them…and that if they died without ever knowing love, they might get a chance to know it now. You'll do your best Hinageshi, I know it."

Hinageshi finally smiled, and pulled forth her oar eagerly. She bowed, and was off running down the hall, headed for her first charge. Botan smiled after her nodding happily.

" 'Atta girl…"

End


	26. The Quiet Family Life

Summery: Kurama enjoys a moment with his family.

* * *

"Would you like to be a grandmother?" Kurama asked Shiori one day as he shared some warm tea with her in the dining room.

The woman jolted as she looked over at her son. Tilting her head she brought her cup of tea to her mouth, an eyebrow arched delicately as she leveled Kurama with a suspicious look, "...Is there someone in your life who you're keeping me from Shuichi?...and if she's with child I think we need to have a talk!"

Kurama laughed, and reached out taking his mother's hand, "No, no...there's no one in my life...I was just wondering if you wanted a grand child."

Shiori smiled, "Maybe one day...but don't take that as I'm expecting it out of you! All I want is for you to be happy...and if that includes you having a child, then that's what I want. If your happiness means you never have children, then that's what I want to. Don't put yourself out, or bring a life into this world because you think that's what I want!"

Kurama smiled, politely accepting the little bit of scolding his mom dished out.

He brought his tea to his lips when his mother added, "And if your happiness includes having wild passionate love with those three odd friends of yours, then that's fine too."

Shiori laughed richly as Kurama choked, snorting tea out his nose.

"M-m-mother!"

Shirori laughed, "I'm just saying I just want you to be happy...and as long as you're safe I don't care who or what makes you happy!"

Kurama wiped his face, his eyes watering painfully from his mother's joke, "Well there's no orgies happening on my end!"

Shirori chuckled before adding with a mischievous wink, "Besides...we can always put the pressure on Kokoda..."

"What about pressuring me?" Kokoda's voice rang out as he joined the pair, carrying a sandwich from the kitchen.

"Its your duty to give mom the first grandchild," Kurama said sweetly smiling at his new brother.

Kokoda balked at the thought, his eyes comically wide at his step-brothers suggestion. His face was so comical, both Shiori and and Kurama burst out laughing.

"I'm too young to be a father!" Kokoda squawked setting his food down next to Kurama, looking to the older red head with a pleading look.

"No, i'm afraid you're the best option. You have a much cuter face, your child should be the gift to our mother," Kurama said seriously clapping Kokoda's shoulder.

"What?! DAD!"

"WHAT? WAIT-DON'T SHOUT IN THE HOUSE!" Kazuya Hatanaka called from upstairs.

"DAD! DO I HAVE TO HAVE THE FIRST KID?"

There was a noticeable silence, and then the sound of hurried footsteps on the staircase. Kazuya poked his head from around the stairwell, eyeing his son's deeply concerned face, and then looking to his wife and step-son.

"Did your mother say you needed to?" Kazuya asked calmly.

"Y-yes?"

"Listen to your mother Kokoda."

"DAD!"

Kurama and Shiori broke down into laughter once more, the sounds filling the house. Kurama marveled in the feeling that surrounded him...there was something wonderful about having a family. He was only sorry he hadn't known it in his previous life. Looking out at his mother's happy face, and the two new members of his family, Kurama made a promise to cherish them and the small gifts of peace and joy they brought.

End


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